Junior Year
by novice242
Summary: Explores Puck/Rachel relationship set after Season 1 since "Mash-Up" wasn't enough. Refers to Puck/Quinn, Rachel/Finn, Finn/Quinn. POVs Puck, Rachel, Finn, Quinn, Kurt, Tina! Ch 25 & 26: Prom, drama for all, the end of Junior Year. Mature scenes indicated
1. The middle in the beginning

**A.N. I've never written fan fiction before. I just needed to get over the fact that the writers ended the Rachel and Puck pairing in one episode and all signs point to the rest of the season as Puckelberry-free. (Sorry, I couldn't help using one of the cheesy names.) I'm setting this story in Rachel's junior year, so that the writers can get everything out of their systems for the first season, and I can hope that Rachel and Puck can have some angsty, awkward, and romantic encounters with less subtle reactions (compared to "Mash-Up") from the other characters in the anticipated Season 2. Since I don't have creative writing experience (since high school), I'm not sure if this is up to par, and so if there's no interest, I won't post any more of my musings on this. This story has the potential to be extended to a few chapters to fill in the blanks, get into the romantic relationships and friendships, and explore the perspectives of multiple characters. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

…

**November, Junior Year**

There he was, arguing with Rachel Berry, diva-wannabe, in the choir room. And right before Break. Lately he was actually putting forth some effort into being less of an ass than usual. Thanksgiving Break of Puck's junior year was supposed to drastically different from last year's. Despite everything that had happened, he was still the hot football stud whose exploits were the stuff of legends, right? Boy, does _she_ know how to ruin a good thing. Maybe that's a bit much coming from him, Puck thought, as he is admittedly a master at ruining good things, ruining anything. His thoughts turn down depressing paths, but he stops them effectively. But hell, he thinks, she's always "a bit much" too and has been known to leave a wake of destruction behind her, even if she's this tiny thing so that her wake is smaller than his. She's still quite a force. (And he's not thinking of her this way with any hint of admiration. Never. He wouldn't even think the words "wake of destruction" except for the comic book stage that he had recently mostly grown out of but held onto because they'd obviously be worth money someday. So he could picture a comic book version of Rachel with a flattened stretch of New York City behind her as she clutched her Tony award. He could see a cartoon version of Puck with his awesome nunchucks. Women screaming, babies crying, bombs exploding, the works—in a much larger expanse of destruction that he left behind him as he followed Rachel's smaller path. Not that he would be chasing after her or anything. Everyone had gone through a lot of shit that started last year, so he wasn't happy to think about all of the damage he's caused. He just has to suck it up and deal with it.)

Most of the time, he actually enjoys their argumentative banter, but this was bordering on a real fight. Normally it's fun to tease her and watch her skin turn from that golden color to flushed red and see her eyes flashing with mischief as she counters back. Hey, he was thinking about verbal teasing, but it was fun to tease her in other ways too, and now his mind is following that path. His eyes must have glazed over or his expression must have changed in some way because suddenly tiny fingers were snapping in his face.

"Noah Puckerman! Are you even listening to me?!"

Before he could respond with an appropriately smooth and sarcastic retort, he heard Kurt's voice.

"And just what are we interrupting here?" Kurt said with the wide smile he gets when he hears some delicious gossip. Puck noticed that Mercedes was standing next to Kurt with her eyebrows raised. Artie was just rolling in with Tina not far behind.

Puck didn't say anything. He took a step back from Rachel because she had moved right up to him during her finger snapping moment. And maybe he had been leaning down into her a bit during his little daydream while she was yelling at him. Yeah, they must have been awkwardly close together in the eyes of the witnesses. He just turned away from Rachel and slouched into a seat in the back row. She liked to talk so much, he'd let _her_ figure out what to say to the gleeks.

Rachel could tell that Puck would not be stepping up to answer Kurt, so she began, "I am sorry that we got so caught up in our argument. It's very unbecoming and unprofessional, and I very much regret it." She was hoping the apology would deflect attention from the fact that she didn't quite answer Kurt's question. It didn't.

"I asked _what_ we interrupted," Kurt said pointedly.

Rachel shifted uncomfortably, and then she put on her usual act. As part of this act, she didn't call him Noah anymore. "As you can see, Puck and I had been having a heated argument." Then Rachel spoke slowly, like she was explaining something obvious, because she was. "An argument is what you interrupted, Kurt."

Kurt gave her a look that showed he was not satisfied with her answer. "An argument about…?"

"Really, I think the reasons all started at the beginning of the school year…" Rachel's voice started trailing off as she tried to remember for herself what started this mess, and she tried to buy herself some time to think while she rambled in her typical style, hoping that Mr. Schuester would arrive soon to start rehearsals.

Puck was intrigued, wondering what she would say. But he decided no good could come of whatever she would say if she was starting her explanation by describing the beginning of the year. He couldn't use the most enjoyable method of shutting her up—kissing her. So he said, "Oh, shut up, Berry. Kurt, mind your own business. Don't make a big deal out of nothing. The resident diva was just having one of her usual tantrums."

Everyone who had been observing this exchange nodded knowingly, except for Rachel, who looked at him indignantly. But that was fine with Puck since it fit the story he just gave. Besides, it was actually mostly true. He smirked back at her, pleased with his quick thinking.

Luckily, Mr. Schuester _did_ arrive to start rehearsals, and for the rest of the day, no one thought about the odd encounter between Puck and Rachel, except for Puck and Rachel.

…

**Start of School, Junior Year**

Sophomore year had been crazy. Some of it had been good, some of it literally insane. Rachel couldn't believe how much had happened to her, and well, everyone in glee club. Who would have ever guessed that her first boyfriend would be Noah Puckerman, the jerkoff "Puck" who threw slushies in face regularly? At the beginning of that year, she imagined (hoped, dreamed!) that Finn Hudson, the popular quarterback with the sweet (if dopey) smile would be her boyfriend. At least Finn was her first kiss. Because you can't count the fourth grade, even though she would use that fourth grade kiss to tell herself she wouldn't be lying if she said she'd been kissed before. Of course, nobody ever asked. For most of sophomore year (and several years prior) she was a social outcast, but she focused on her road to stardom and tried not to let it bother her.

Rachel shook her head as she attempted to clear her mind. It's the start of a new year, and it's time to count her blessing and look forward to her accomplishing her goals. Now she had a group of friends, although they didn't all get along all of time, and she wasn't quite sure how awkward things would be after everything that happened last year. And now she had new goals. In addition to her ever-present goal of launching her own star, she now had the goal of improving the glee club as a whole so that they could beat Vocal Adrenaline, win State, and win Nationals. That's what she would focus on: maintaining friendships and reaching her musical goals. She simply didn't have the time to waste on romantic notions that she would finally be in relationship for longer than a week.

In some ways, she was glad that she spent most of the summer away from Lima by going to show choir camp. Only she and Kurt attended from glee club, so they became better friends. And she didn't have to face Finn or Noah (no, Puck!) in the aftermath of everything that happened before school ended last year. She didn't have to deal with Quinn's baby drama. She didn't have to see Puck strutting around cleaning pools shirtless and wooing housewives.

She had arrived at WMHS and was walking through the parking lot when Kurt strode up beside her and linked his arm in hers. "So, are you ready to face the new year, Miss Rachel?" Kurt asked. He was wearing a subtle outfit compared to his usual fall and winter ensembles. Designer sunglasses covered his eyes, and he wore tight dark jeans, a dark fitted t-shirt, and leather sandals, complete with a matching shoulder bag. "Kurt!" Rachel squeaked, "You look fantastic! Have you been working out?" She could feel his bicep where their arms were linked.

He flushed a little. Rachel thought this was cute considering the confident and collected attitude Kurt usually maintains.

"Yeah, I thought it would help if I decide to try out for football again—and of course the choreography in glee with all of the lifting and spinning." Then he whispered slyly, "And maybe there was a certain boy at show choir camp I tried to impress." Rachel smiled conspiratorially. Then he spoke up at his usual volume, "But I didn't realize how long it would take for the effects to really show up. I started working out in the middle of the summer during camp, but it wasn't until I got home that I started lifting weights and seeing results, so I'm not surprised that you didn't notice sooner." Kurt's face then went blank. Rachel didn't know that Kurt was remembering how happy his dad was at first to see Kurt taking an interest in something as manly as lifting weights, and then how quiet and disturbed his dad seemed by it later.

Pulling himself out of his reverie, Kurt said, "By the way, you look great today too, Rachel. I'm glad to see you're listening to some of my fashion advice."

In the past, such a comment in Kurt's typical, slightly condescending tone would have irritated Rachel. She liked her sense of style, with her cute tops, skirts, and knee socks. But Kurt, along with some animated comments from Mercedes, had convinced her that many of her outfits were too juvenile, and others were a combination of grandma's sweater with a naughty school girl's skirt that were "just off". So she had been trying to add a few fashionable pieces into her wardrobe without getting too caught up in the latest trends. She was going for classic. For the first day of school, she had chosen one of her best sundresses in a shade of emerald with a lightweight white cardigan sweater and white strappy sandals. She thanked Kurt politely, but sincerely.

Kurt spotted Mercedes and rushed over to say hello. He and Rachel parted and wished each other good luck for the first day of school, promising to catch up with each other again soon. It's not that Rachel didn't want to see Mercedes, she just realized that she needed to head to first period. And it was true that she and Mercedes did not always get along as well with each other as each girl did with Kurt. It seemed to Rachel that everyone got along with Kurt once they got to know him.

She made it to her locker in the junior hallway and hoped that this year would be better than the last. Unfortunately, Rachel's locker was near Jacob Ben-Israel's, and he hadn't given up blogging or his infatuation with Rachel. But she was relieved when all that he did today was look over at her, wiggle his eyebrows suggestively, and say, "So, Rachel, will you be my girlfriend this year, now that we're both maturing into our adult bodies?" Then he mumbled something about the independent polling company in his Dockers. Apparently he found this line very clever because he used it a lot.

All that Rachel had to say in response was, "Gross. No." and he let her walk away without further harassment. She shuddered at the way he had looked her up and down like he could see the "Rachel Berry panties" he had blackmailed her into giving him last year.

She must have closed her eyes involuntarily while she was shuddering at her memories because she walked right into the chest of a boy who had been turning the corner. A bit dazed, she looked up and began apologizing. When she realized she had just bumped into Noah (Puck!), she gasped and couldn't seem to form words.

"Did I take your breath away, Berry?" he smirked. His usual, sexy (annoying!) smirk. Rachel looked away from his well-muscled chest and beautiful (annoying!) face as she felt herself blushing. Everywhere.

"I-I'm very sorry that I ran into you." (Rachel couldn't bring herself to call him Noah or Puck, so she purposefully did not call him anything.) "If you'll excuse me, I'm heading to my first class." She began to step aside to continue on her way down the hall.

"And what class is that?" Puck asked. His tone sounded flirtatious to Rachel, but that didn't mean much because it was _Puck_.

"Considering that you and I are going in opposite directions, I am sure that it is a class we don't have together, and as such I am grateful for the scheduling genius of Miss Pillsbury." Rachel huffed.

"Whatever, Berry. See you in glee." He said, sounding disinterested as he started to walk past her.

"You're still in glee club this year?" Rachel couldn't hide her surprise as she whirled around. Hopefully she could hide other feelings.

He shrugged, his back was already toward her and he continued walking away.

For some reason, Rachel was torn between complete dread and eager anticipation for glee club today. As an aspiring Broadway star, she decided to give in to both feelings as they washed over her. In reality, she couldn't control them even if she wanted to, but that is not what Rachel Berry told herself as she went through her first day of junior year.

…

**A.N. If anyone was wondering, the "Wheels" episode 9 spoiler info I used was related to "nunchucks". If the glee writers hadn't put the lines in Puck's mouth, I never would have made him channel an inner geek like that. But I couldn't resist.**


	2. The beginning

**A.N. Thank you to everyone who reviewed or added this story to alerts/favorites. I'm so flattered and thrilled. I'm going to try to update this once a week, and I'm going to try to keep everyone in character to the best of my ability. If anyone has opinions on characters they'd like to see featured or directions to take the story, let me know. In this chapter, I refer back to what happened sophomore year with the baby and how that situation affected the glee club. So this is more dramatic than the first chapter, but I didn't feel like I could continue much without referring to my version of the events leading up to the start of Chapter 1. That won't be the focus in the future because my point of writing this story is to explain how Puck and Rachel get into a relationship and what happens when everyone finds out about them. This time we learn a bit about what is going on with Quinn and Finn, but I try to keep the focus on how this affects Rachel and Puck. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any songs.**

…

**Start of School, Junior Year**

If the first meeting of glee club could be summed up in one word, it would be "awkward". To the amazement of the five original members of New Directions, the football players and Cheerios started filtering into the music room. Everyone was quiet, looking around the room and assessing the situation. As Mr. Schuester entered the room, the only former glee club member missing was Quinn Fabray.

Finn glares at Puck, but sits next to him. Finn is furious and never expected that Puck would have the stones to come back to glee club, _his_ club. It was like his former best friend was trying to ruin his life. Finn knew why _he_ came back for another year of glee. In part, he's there because Mr. Schue has been so nice to him, almost like a father figure, and he knows Mr. Schue could use some support. Finn didn't have time to dwell on it, but he was sure that Mr. Schue must have had a hard time learning that his wife had faked a pregnancy and had plotted to take Quinn's baby. Finn also felt a strong compulsion to be near Rachel, and staying in glee club was the best way he figured he could do that.

"What are you doing here?" Finn whispers loudly through clenched teeth.

"Dude, chill." Puck replies without answering the question.

"No, I will not _chill_!" Finn's voice gets louder. "Why are you here? Quinn's not even here!" Finn knew by now that Puck had originally joined glee club because of Quinn and her baby. He assumed that he wouldn't be able to avoid seeing Puck in school and in football, but he thought that at least glee club could be his safe haven where he could just try to be happy and try to see if he could move forward with Rachel.

"Nobody wants you here!" Finn was standing and gesturing wildly.

Puck stood up in response. Everyone was looking at the two boys. Mr. Schue was heading up the risers as he saw Puck rise from his chair. Before Puck had a chance to say or do anything, Mr. Schue was there between them, a hand on each of their chests.

"You two are best friends. I know a lot has happened, but please, try to get along here." Will pleaded. "Otherwise, I'll have to cut you both." He threatened.

Everyone knew Mr. Schue meant that he'd kick them out of glee, but a few people giggled at the resemblance of Mr. Schue's words to Mercedes' common threat "I _will_ cut you".

Finn nodded, followed by Puck, but they both moved to new seats so they didn't have to sit side by side.

"Ok…now I know that it may take us a while to get on track again," Will started. "But the first thing on our agenda is recruiting new members. So, we are going to prepare a number to perform at the next school assembly, which also happens to be the pep rally for the upcoming football game."

Santana raises her hand. "But we have to wear our uniforms on game day, and the Cheerios will be performing of course. There's no way we can change into glee costumes too."

"That's true, Santana," said Will. "The Cheerios and football players will wear their sports attire, and the rest of the glee club members will wear their costumes. This will help emphasize the diversity of the students in New Directions." Will was pleased with himself, since having football players and Cheerios featured in the performance would be sure to encourage lots of kids to audition.

The jocks nodded at this plan. The gleeks all had similar reactions, their jaws dropping to show they were offended by what the statement implied. But they were mostly resigned to their status.

"Mr. Schue, you were obviously an athlete in high school," Kurt piped up. "What sport did you play? Soccer?"

Will replies, surprised, "Yes, Kurt, I did play soccer in high school. Good guess."

"It figures, too many balls to the head," Kurt mutters under his breath. Mercedes overhears and laughs, but Mr. Schue continues oblivious to Kurt's jibe.

"Why'd you guess soccer, Kurt?" Mercedes whispers.

"Well, his body looks like an athlete with endurance," Kurt starts, almost wistfully. "I thought of soccer and track, but track doesn't explain why Mr. Schue acts so clueless sometimes. Balls to the head while playing soccer may be the answer." Kurt finished, shaking his head at their choir director.

"You may be on to something," Mercedes agrees. Then they both decide they better listen to what Mr. Schue has been saying.

"Well, guys, we're going to perform 'Somebody to Love', but instead of keeping the arrangement we used for the Invitational last year, we'll be adding some additional soloists, which will change up the choreography just a little. I think that will be a good way to show that everyone can get a little piece of the spotlight, and it will be easier than preparing a new number by Friday. "

"So, you don't think that's false advertising, Mr. Schue?" asks Artie. "I mean, I agree that this is much more logical than learning a new number in a few days, but maybe it would be more realistic if we show that in any given song only a few people will be given a solo…" Everyone had noticed that Rachel and Finn got the majority of the solos. Occasionally solos were assigned to others, like Mercedes and Artie.

Mr. Schue protested and said that this year they might be shaking things up a bit and they could really use more members so they could compete against Vocal Adrenaline and other large show choirs in the upcoming competitions. The rest of period was spent dividing the verses into solo and ensemble parts, and adjusting the positions of each member to fit their solos and make up for Quinn's absence in the choreography.

Rachel felt relieved because this first glee club meeting could have gone much worse. She had been very worried about how everyone would interact, and she wasn't sure who would continue in glee and who would drop out of the club. Rachel decided that she could do this, and maybe she could even imagine that the events of last year hadn't really affected them as a group. She was also able to use the rehearsal time to sneak a peek at Puck's hand. He wasn't wearing a wedding ring. Rachel knew that he and Quinn were going to try to raise the baby together and that they would probably then get married, even though they were so young. She also learned through the rumor mill that before school started, Quinn and Puck had let a couple adopt their daughter. She didn't know the details. Rachel was concerned about them all: Finn, Puck, and Quinn.

When the truth came out that Puck was the father of Quinn's baby, everything changed. Rachel tried to stay out of it. Finn was angry, hurt, and humiliated. Quinn was ashamed and scared. Puck seemed relieved, defeated, and sad. Finn was the obvious victim, and Rachel did her best to be there as his friend and to comfort him. Quinn had seen some good in Puck, and since her parents basically disowned her and Finn had broken up with her, she desperately needed Puck and his help with the medical bills. They had tried to be together for the sake of the baby. While Puck and Quinn were getting closer, Finn seemed desperate to be with Rachel at the end of sophomore year. Rachel and Finn started with friendship and were trying to edge into romance without being to hurtful to others around them. She and Finn had tried to date and be romantic, but that lasted about a week. This seemed like what Rachel had always wanted, but given the situation, things just weren't right. Rachel wasn't comfortable and she convinced Finn that it would be better if they remained friends, at least for a while, so that Finn could be sure that he was over Quinn.

And luckily for Rachel, she was able to leave for the summer to go to show choir camp, which further cemented her friendship-only arrangement with Finn. She still thought about Puck and Quinn, two scared teenagers trying to raise a baby. She felt terrible for them, in spite of the fact that they were responsible for their actions that resulted in the baby. Her heart had gone out to Puck when she learned that Quinn had turned down his initial attempts to be responsible. Something about that knowledge made Rachel swoon inside. It helped that her heart had already started to soften toward Puck before the end of sophomore year.

Rachel had seen Noah Puckerman's good side for the few days they dated, but she felt that ending their relationship was for the best since she was hung up on Finn and he seemed to love Quinn. But what really softened Rachel's heart was what he had written in her yearbook last year. Yearbooks had arrived at the end of May, just before Quinn had her baby. Everyone was exchanging books in glee club for signatures. Toward the end of the period, Rachel looked around anxiously because she hadn't received her yearbook back. She briefly worried that someone was defacing her book, and this feeling intensified when her eyes settled on Puck and realized that he was the one with her yearbook. But she could tell he was writing intently, not flipping through pages to write obscenities and draw pornographic pictures, so she settled down and waited as patiently as Rachel Berry could. A few minutes before the bell rang, Rachel sat beside Puck, waiting for him to finish and trying to get a peek at what he could be taking so long to write. When the bell rang, he seemed startled. Then he signed his name, handed the yearbook to Rachel, and walked out of the room. Rachel was curious, but she had to get to her next class, so she put the yearbook away for later. When she finally had the chance to read her signatures, she was shocked. The entry from Puck was written in his messy scrawl, but despite his small printing, he had taken up about a quarter of a page. The next thing she noticed is that the entry started with "Rachel", not "Berry", or "Man-hands", but her first name; and he had signed it "Noah Puckerman". But it wasn't until she read what he wrote that Rachel felt her heart flutter. It wasn't rude, crude, flirtatious, just heartfelt. He wrote about how much potential she had for stardom and how he wished he had just a tiny bit of the potential that she had. Rachel was so moved by his words. She couldn't even remember exactly what she had written in his yearbook. It was something trite about him being a good performer and how she was glad she had gotten to know him in glee. She had written similar things to everyone else in glee, she realized bitterly. And if Noah had read what she wrote in anyone else's yearbook, he would realize that too. Rachel felt terrible and nearly cried at the thought. She never had a chance to thank Noah for his kind comments, but she had taken the yearbook with her to show choir camp, and she would re-read what he wrote to her whenever she needed a pick-me-up.

Rachel had tried to think of Finn and Puck as little as possible during her summer at camp—but that meant she thought about them all the time. Somehow over the summer, Rachel built up an idea of Noah Puckerman in her mind of a sensitive thoughtful boy inside the body of a bully. Every school needed an obligatory sexy bad-boy, and that was Puck. But she thought that inside Puck was the real Noah, who didn't want to be stuck in Lima, who wanted to be responsible, who wanted to _be_ somebody. Rachel would remember how sincere Noah had seemed about wanting to show her that he could be with her when they had dated, and how he needed to hear that she was proud of him and his "Sweet Caroline" solo. And she couldn't help but think of how charming he was during that song, and how hot their makeout session had been before she ended it. Rachel knew she was an idiot. Throughout the summer, she had worked herself into a tizzy over Noah Puckerman. She knew it was inappropriate since Noah was with Quinn and their daughter, so she tried to squash her feelings and start fresh her junior year. Then, when she had learned things hadn't worked out between Quinn and Noah, and that Noah was going to stay in glee club, she momentarily forgot her vow to try to focus on friendships and not romantic relationships. But Rachel really wanted to be friends with Finn and Noah, just _friends_.

…

Rachel didn't know that Puck's summer was anything but wooing housewives with his shirtless pool cleaning business. Well, ok, it was a little bit of that, without the actual sex. Puck needed money for Quinn and his daughter, so he took all of the pool cleaning jobs he could get. He also did landscaping, home repair, and construction, whenever he could find such work. He was actually making a fair amount of money, but he had to work a lot of hours. That left Quinn mostly alone to raise their daughter. Quinn's parents kicked her out of their house when she decided that she wanted to try to keep her baby, and it didn't help that it was Puck, not Finn, who was the father. She moved into the guest room at the Puckerman's, which they converted into the nursery. The two of them really tried to make things work. Puck thought he loved Quinn and he knew he loved their unborn daughter. Quinn had changed a lot, she was more humble, but she was also depressed. When the baby was born, life became 1,000 times harder. Puck's mom worked long hours as a nurse, so she couldn't be around much to help Quinn. Puck had to work long hours to support them and pay the medical bills. Puck's little sister stayed with friends during the day for most of the summer, but Quinn's baby was too young for any babysitters or daycares to accept her. Puck and Quinn had mutually decided that they would take care of their daughter together and at the end of the summer they would decide if they would continue to do so or seek adoption options. Within the first six weeks, it was clear that they both loved little Diana Isabel, but they were both struggling to keep up with the demands of being young parents. Quinn would usually sleep in Puck's room after she put the baby to bed, so that they could both sleep without fear of waking her up. Both of them (especially Quinn) were too exhausted to think about doing anything besides sleep when they slept together.

Puck remembered the days leading up to their decision to find a couple to adopt Diana. He and Quinn were sleeping when Diana started crying from the nursery. Puck shook Quinn to wake her.

"Can't you take her?" Quinn murmured sleepily.

"You're the one with the boobs. She's probably hungry." Puck grumbled.

"Fine, but can you just get up and bring her in here?" Quinn asked in a way that told Puck he shouldn't argue. Puck did as he was asked, and Quinn began nursing baby Dizzy. Puck looked at Quinn's bared breast appreciatively. Quinn smiled and rolled her eyes. "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

"Doesn't mean I can't enjoy the view," he said warmly. And he felt warm, happy even. Puck didn't think that he and Quinn were in love like you see in the movies, but he could picture himself with this life. He thought school was for suckers, so he welcomed the idea of continuing to work full time instead of returning to school in the fall. Then maybe they could afford to pay someone to watch their daughter while Quinn went back to high school. He knew she didn't want to be a stay-at-home mom, and that was fine with him. But his vision of the future was not to be.

"Puck," Quinn started softly, her eyes filling with tears, "I don't think I can keep this up…"

He knew where she was going with this because they'd been having these conversations since the beginning. This time though, Quinn won. He couldn't force her to want to be a mom, to be happy in this situation. So the next day they started the process of finding the right couple to adopt their daughter. Quinn wanted a closed adoption because she said it would be too hard unless she had a clean break. But she compromised with Puck since he wanted an open adoption with the option to remain in contact with their daughter. Quinn didn't have to participate if she didn't want to, he told her.

The fall was here, Puck's daughter was gone, and he and Quinn couldn't bear to see each other. It hurt too much. Quinn's parents took her back in once she had removed the parts of her life that had so offended them; namely, baby Diana and Noah Puckerman. So Puck tried to reclaim his bad boy existence and return to life as normally as he could. He had decided to try to stay in glee club for two and a half reasons. First, Finn had been his best friend, and he wanted to try to make things right. He knew that they had named their daughter Diana Isabel and called her "Dizzy" because it was as close as Quinn would come to calling her "Drizzle". He knew that Quinn still had a spot in her heart for Finn, and maybe Finn could forgive Quinn someday. And maybe Puck could get Finn to really forgive him too, so he could have his friend back. The second reason Puck returned to glee club was because singing and memorizing choreography seemed like a good way to occupy his thoughts to keep his mind off of the wreck he's made of his life. And the half of a reason Puck returned to glee was for Rachel Berry. It was ridiculous, which was why he considered it very low on his list. But he admired her determination and her unwavering belief that she was going to be star. Puck figured it wouldn't hurt him if some of that attitude could rub off on him. She also seemed to be the only person in school besides Quinn who could stand him after the news broke that he was the "baby daddy".

So now here he was in the music room, Finn glaring at him from time to time, the others whispering to each other, and Rachel giving him a sad smile as they worked on the new choreography which involved Rachel standing between Puck and Finn for the end of "Somebody to Love". Puck wasn't sure if this was a good idea after all.

…

**A.N. The next chapter will tell how Rachel and Puck go from the beginning of school to being in a secret relationship by November (where Chapter 1 opened). I'm sorry I couldn't fit that into this chapter, but I felt like I needed to get this background information about the situation with the baby out of the way. After Rachel and Puck get together, the future chapters will reveal how their relationship goes public and the fallout.**


	3. Somebody to Love

**A.N. This chapter is a long one. If you have preferences for short or long, let me know. This is a point in the story where I try to be realistic about teenagers' abilities to deal with difficult circumstances (e.g., giving up a baby for adoption, dysfunctional families, depression, etc.) and their desires to be taken care of and find "somebody to love". So this is my attempt to balance these issues and still try to resemble the black-comedy- musical-drama that is Glee. There will be more references to the difficulties that Puck, Quinn, Finn, and Rachel are dealing with in the next chapters. I hope you'll bear with me and that this story is engaging enough. Let me know things you like and things you don't, so I can improve!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any songs mentioned.**

…

**First week of school, Junior Year**

"Can… anybody… find me… somebody to… love?" The glee club started the familiar song just like they had performed it for the Invitational when Rachel stepped in for April Rhodes. Now they were performing at Friday's pep rally to recruit new members to audition for New Directions. They had been rehearsing all week with the new arrangement that allowed most of the members to have a solo verse or two. Finn had the signature first word, "Can?", and Mr. Schue satisfied the inside joke of giving Finn the verse, "Got no feel, I got no rhythm, I just keep losing my beat."

Everyone was hitting the right notes and finding their places with the slight change-ups in the choreography that were necessary due to the additional solos and Quinn's absence from the group. Everything was going fine. Who would have guessed that it would be Rachel who made a mistake?

They were not quite at the end of the song, just past the point when they sing a capella, they've come down the risers in pairs, and they were singing to the audience while all in one row at the front of the make-shift stage in the gym. Rachel was feeling great about the performance. She reached over and gave Puck's hand a squeeze. She froze for a fraction of a second. That wasn't part of the routine. Quickly, Rachel grabbed the hand of the person to her right, Finn.

Finn looked down at Rachel holding his hand. He was surprised, then confused. He didn't remember practicing this, but he figured he'd better follow her lead, so he grabbed Tina's hand. They all followed down the line, until they broke free to move to their final positions. No one knew why this chain of events occurred, even Rachel.

Rachel didn't know what compelled her to do that. Puck didn't either, but he tried not to give it much thought. Rachel, on the hand, was unnerved by her actions. She knew she would need to take some precautions to keep herself from acting on the bizarre feelings she had developed for Noah Puckerman while she had been away for the summer. The last thing anyone in glee club needed was more drama. If she couldn't trust herself to keep things professional, she'd have to come up with a strategy. She just didn't know what that would be.  
The students in the audience seemed suitably impressed with the performance. There was applause throughout the gym. No rousing cheers like their performance of "Push It" garnered, but no jeers either. That felt nice, but Rachel couldn't really enjoy the moment. As soon as they took their last bow, Rachel ducked out and into the girls' room. She almost ran right into Quinn Fabray.

"Oh! Quinn!" Rachel recovered from her surprise to ask, "Were you here during the performance, or did you catch it?"

"Hello to you too, Rachel," Quinn said, sounding tired and a touch annoyed. True, this was actually the first time Rachel had even seen Quinn, let alone spoken to her, since the beginning of the summer. A lot had happened since then.

"Hello, Quinn, I hope you are well," Rachel said, trying to be polite instead of getting back to her original question.

Quinn scoffed softly. "Yes, Rachel, I did watch the performance. You all did a nice job. I almost miss it. _Almost_."

That opened a door for Rachel. She didn't have a fully formed idea yet, but she thought maybe she could help Quinn by getting her to return to glee club. And maybe somehow seeing Quinn _and _Puck _and _Finn at each rehearsal, she'd have daily reminders of why she had decided that everyone needed time to heal and just be friends.

"So, do you miss singing? Would you consider coming back?"

"Well, since my parents took me back in, my mom just wants to pretend that nothing happened. She forced me to try out for the Cheerios, and fortunately Coach Sylvester let me back on the team, as you can see." Quinn gestured to her Cheerios uniform and Rachel nodded.

"Besides, even though my parents let me move back home, they aren't going to help me pay for college now. Something about how if I want to make adult choices, I have to behave like an adult. Whatever. But it means that I have to try to keep straight A's and get as many scholarships as possible." Quinn couldn't believe she had so much to say to Rachel Berry, but Rachel was one of the select few who knew most of the story. And she was one of the few people who never shunned her, even though they didn't always get along (for many reasons).

"But you did all that before," Rachel objected. "You were on Honor Roll when you were a Cheerio in glee club last year. Your closest friends are in glee, right? And do you remember what Finn said about music scholarships?"

"Scholarships for being in glee club? It sounds pretty farfetched, even if it came from Miss Pillsbury."

Rachel had to concede that point to Quinn.

"Why are you trying to get me to join glee, Rachel? Now you can have Finn all to yourself," Quinn practically spat the words. She was thinking about how her jealousy of Finn joining glee and Rachel fawning all over him was part of what got her in a mess to begin with…but she didn't say anything. Still, after what she _had_ said out loud, Quinn could see that Rachel's face now resembled a wounded puppy.

"I think it might be too painful to come back to glee," Quinn said quietly.

Rachel's face softened. "I can understand that." Then she continued. "I think we all need to be friends, bond as a group, and win Nationals this year. I think it will help us in our personal lives and in our pursuits for future successes. Music can be great therapy you know." It wasn't phrased as a question, so Quinn didn't respond.

"So I hope that you'll evaluate your emotional state from time to time and reconsider your decision," Rachel finished.

Quinn let out a sharp laugh. Such a Rachel Berry thing to say. She just nodded. "I have to warm up with the Cheerios before the game, so I'm going to go now."

Rachel forgot about the football game. That was the whole reason they performed at the pep rally—so that Mr. Schue could attract new students with the allure of jocks in their jerseys and Cheerios in their uniforms dancing and singing with the "regular kids". Or was "regular" too generous a term?

Rachel said goodbye to Quinn and they parted ways. She still had to change out of her costume from "Somebody to Love". She decided to skip the first football game of the school year.

As Rachel was returning her outfit to the music room, she noticed the sign-up sheet for tryouts for New Directions. Her eyes widened at the sight of so many signatures. As might be expected, the list was dominated by girls' names. Even without hearing their auditions, she knew that there would be more promising female vocalists than male vocalists. Rachel had a great idea for how she could alleviate her problem of her potential to act inappropriately around Noah Puckerman in glee. Sure, maybe she was being too hard on herself. She had only grabbed his hand. That was an obvious gesture of friendship. Still, a friend doesn't feel electricity spreading from her arm through her body when she grabs another friend's hand. She couldn't wait until Monday to put her plan into effect.

…

**Second week of school, Junior year**

Rachel couldn't help herself. She snuck into the auditorium during the glee auditions. She was right about the girls. Of course, she wasn't threatened by them because clearly none of these girls had her years of vocal training. And by now Rachel had come to terms with the fact that she was performing in glee club, not "Rachel and her backup harmonizers." Now she knew her plan would work. She had to find Quinn to convince her to show up to glee rehearsal on Tuesday and let her in on the idea.

Everyone was surprised when Quinn entered the choir room on Tuesday and took a seat next to Rachel, who smiled at her encouragingly.

"Quinn, so nice to see you!" exclaimed Mr. Schue. "Will you be joining us in glee club this year?"

"Well, right now it's not in my schedule. But I wanted to attend the after-school rehearsals and try it out before I decide if I can handle it." Quinn didn't feel she needed to explain further. Everyone in the room should understand the basic reasons behind her words.

"Understandable," Will nodded to Quinn and then looked around the room, addressing the group. "Well, I wanted to give you all an update on the auditions I held yesterday. There is good news and bad news. The good news is that I saw a lot of talented students, so we'll have some great additions to New Directions. The bad news is that there were only five boys who were really qualified. Since this is show choir, we need to have even numbers of boys and girls for most of the choreography, so I have some tough decisions to make."

Rachel's hand shot up immediately. "Mr. Schuester!"

"Yes, Rachel?" Will asked in the slightly exasperated tone he typically took with Rachel.

Rachel rolled her eyes at his obvious annoyance and continued with her brilliant idea. "I think I have a solution for your problem. You can form a girls-only small ensemble. I would be happy to give up my spot as a female lead in New Directions to help lead a girls ensemble, and I believe Quinn is also interested in this opportunity." Quinn nodded.

Will listened, but Rachel had just given him another idea.

"Thank you, Rachel. That's a very thoughtful suggestion. You've just given me an even better idea."

Rachel didn't like the sound of that. Neither did Quinn.

"I'll start a freshmen choir!" Will continued. "Most of the students are freshmen and sophomores. I'll have an entry-level choir that can be a feeder for New Directions! Think of it as though you're in the Varsity Choir, and they will be in the Junior Varsity Choir. I'll teach them to read music, follow choreography, breathe properly, improve their range…so everyone who makes it to New Directions in the future years will be on the same playing field!" He was growing more and more excited as the idea was blossoming in his head. He couldn't wait to tell Emma his plan. Maybe she could be a co-director of the new group and go on field trips and competitons…

"But as for you girls," Will looked at Rachel and Quinn. "I really need your experience here in New Directions."

Quinn looked at Rachel helplessly, and Rachel had a similar, distraught expression. But they both nodded to Mr. Schue.

"And I'll still be asking a few of the best students to join New Directions right away, so you can expect that we'll add to our numbers here, probably later this week! Let's run through some vocal exercises, then we'll finish early so that I can get to work on this new arrangement. Sound ok, guys?"

The kids in glee club watched Mr. Schue with bemused expressions at his enthusiasm. But most of them were looking forward to having some new members since it could only improve their chances of winning Nationals this year. They all nodded in agreement with Mr. Schue's plan.

As soon as they finished rehearsal, Rachel looked over to Quinn and apologized for getting her into this. "I'm sorry this didn't work out the way I thought. You don't have to re-join, but it would be nice to have you back," said Rachel sincerely.

Quinn was also sincere when she said she would think about. Then she was immediately whisked away by Santana and Brittany, followed by Tina and Mercedes, who all couldn't wait to talk to Quinn. Rachel gave a half-smile as she watched them and began to gather her things to leave. She didn't notice Finn approach her until his legs fell into her line of sight in front of her bag.

"Hey, Rachel? I was just wondering why you did that…"

Rachel looked up at Finn. "Did what?"

"Why did you bring Quinn and try to start an all-girls group? Glee is the only time that we get to spend together. Don't you still like singing with me?"

Finn looked so sad and sweet. Rachel's heart hurt at the sight of him. She didn't notice Puck lingering in the back of the room, trying to look busy by quietly adjusting his books and fiddling with his guitar case. He was curious to hear Rachel's answer. When Rachel had grabbed his hand, it felt friendly, reassuring. He didn't automatically think that she had romantic feelings for him. That was really the last thing on his mind. But he had felt some kind of hope last Friday when her tiny hand had squeezed his, some hope that maybe they could be friends, and that maybe Rachel Berry was the one person who could help him get back to normal. Well, not normal. He knew he'd never be the same after having a daughter with Quinn and then giving her up for adoption. And he didn't want to be the same guy that he was before his daughter either. Yeah, he still wanted to be a _badass_, but he didn't want to be a _dick_ anymore. Puck almost got lost in his own thoughts, but then he heard Rachel responding to Finn's questions.

"Oh, Finn!" Rachel exclaimed softly. "Of course I like singing with you. And I like spending time with you." Rachel put her hand on Finn's arm. The touch made her feel warm inside, sentimental, but there were no tingles or sparks of electricity. Her heart filled whenever she saw Finn and thought of him, but it was more like a feeling of strong friendship, sympathy, and protectiveness. He was such a nice person. He deserved good things in his life. Rachel just wanted the best of everything for Finn.

Rachel continued her explanation in a rush of words, but she tried not to have too many run-on sentences since she was speaking to Finn after all. "I ran into Quinn after our performance on Friday. She seemed upset. I convinced her that singing was healing, and she should come back to glee. She said it might be too painful. I found out before Mr. Schue announced it that he was going to have too many girls, so I thought Quinn and I could lead a girls group. I thought it would have been a great way to help Quinn and help us all be friends again."

"Gee, Rachel, that's really great of you. You're really cool," said Finn, a bit in awe of Rachel. "But I'm kinda glad your plan backfired on you," he said with a grin.

Even Finn's evil grin was sweet. Rachel cleared her throat. "Yes, having all of us back in glee might make things more difficult, but I think if we all put forth the effort, we could all be very good friends."

"Yeah, I'd like that, Rach. I'd offer you a ride home, but I have to go to football practice. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course, Finn," Rachel smiled.

Crap. Puck had forgotten about football practice. Still, he had to ask Rachel one thing on his way out.

"Uh, Rachel?" started Puck.

Rachel was startled. "Oh, I didn't see you there!" Rachel just realized that he had been there during her whole exchange with Finn.

"Did you mean what you said, about trying to be friends with everyone?" Puck asked. "Is that why you grabbed my hand on Friday?"

His voice sounded casual, but Rachel heard a hint of something fragile in his question, not like Puck at all. Rachel blushed. "I know you said that we're not friends, but that was _before_…" She didn't need to state the obvious. "I just want to help you, to be your friend," Rachel finished. She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek and give him a friendly hug.

"Thanks, Rachel," he whispered in ear. His voice hitched and his breath was warm against her skin. As if on autopilot, that was all it took, Rachel was already there. She turned her head and kissed him on the lips.

And so it began…

He doesn't pull away from her kiss. He doesn't even register the shock of it. Instead, he's just kissing her back with such hunger and intensity that he's not even thinking straight. But after they both pull away from each other to take a breath, Puck comes to his senses. He had only wanted to try to be friends with Rachel. He knew that he turned things to shit when he started to have romantic feelings for a girl. Look what happened with Quinn. He needed to put his badass act back on because that's how he's been trying to get through each day. At school he stays quiet, and when he needs to talk, he acts like his former self, before Quinn and before their baby.

"Thanks, Berry," he sneers, in his best impression of himself. "Some physical comfort is exactly what I needed. We should revisit this 'friends with benefits' thing."

To his surprise, Rachel nods. What? She thinks that's a good idea? He was trying to be an asshole. He steps away from her. He really should get going before things get worse.

"Well, Noah," she begins, in her most practical voice. "I'm drawn to you in ways I can't seem to deny. And you appear to take to demonstrations more so than verbal explanations. I _do_ want to comfort you and help you get through this difficult time. I'm sure it would benefit the team." Ok, she was obviously rationalizing her actions. Benefit the team? Who was she kidding? Rachel wanted to smack herself, but she moved on quickly in her typical style of conversation domination. "But of course, I am going to talk to you too—this is not just going to be me comforting you physically. Let me be clear about that right now!"

"Shut up, Berry. You're ruining the moment." And that was the first time Puck cut her off with his kiss. It wasn't easy to break out of the badass mode that he had perfected all these years.

Yeah, maybe this could work. Whatever _this_ is, Puck thought as he and Rachel continued making out. Rachel's always been too smart for her own good. It was probably safer to give his brain a rest and follow her lead for now. Puck had a brief realization that he was going to be late for football practice, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He was tired of thinking.

...

**A.N. I'll be writing Chapter 4 soon to continue where this leaves off and lead up to where the story started, right before Thanksgiving break. So I'm hoping to post it right around the actual holiday. And just a little note from the "Ballad" episode: Could Puck be the boy who will like Rachel and her flaws, or were the writers trying to point the audience to Finn? I know my vote…**


	4. Times Like These

**A.N. Ok, although I've mostly been on the Puckelberry ship, Puck and Quinn are awfully cute together. Episodes of Glee plus some reviews have led me to make sure there are going to be some good Quinn moments in this story too, but they will come in later chapters. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any songs mentioned.**

…

**Second week of school, Junior Year**

Rachel melted back into Noah's kiss, but a tiny voice nagged that she'd have to come back to reality. Just as she was about to return to Earth, Noah pulled away from her abruptly.

"Shit."

A small gasp of surprise left Rachel's mouth. He could tell she was hurt and thought his curse was about her.

"Uh, no, I mean, I'm late for football practice. I've gotta go." Puck said quickly. It was true, not an excuse to leave the unbelievable situation they were in a moment before.

"I see. Well, that's unfortunate. I think we need to talk right away. Will you meet me at my house after you finish?" Rachel asked in a bit of a panic.

"Yeah, I'll come by."

"You remember how to get there, right?"

Puck grunted in affirmation as he ran out of the music room to head to the locker room. Yeah, not only had he egged her house several times in his past, but he had also been to her house for that hot makeout session that was the kickoff to their first fling last year. He had to clear his head and step out of the bizarro world he had entered with Rachel, and get back to his usual routine, which presently included acting badass at football practice. Puck rushed to change into his gear as fast as he could and ran to the field. Finn gave him a quizzical look. Finn could have sworn Puck left for practice before him, so why was he so late? As soon as Coach Tanaka saw Puck, he ordered him to run laps for his tardiness.

"How many laps, Coach?"

"Until I tell you to stop, Puckerman!" Coach Tanaka yelled.

This is not what Puck needed, time alone with his thoughts while running. He needed football plays, running routes, and avoiding tackles to fill his head. He did _not_ need thoughts of Rachel in his head now. He didn't need to think about how good it felt to hold her close, to see her eyes shining when she looked at him. What was that look in her eyes? Concern? Lust? Whoa, can't go there now, Puckerman, he thought to himself. Puck was grateful when Coach Tanaka relented after only the fourth lap. Who could blame him? Puck was one of the best on the team so they needed him in practice.

Football practice was a welcome break for Puck's brain. But as Puck gathered up his gear, skipping his shower, frantic thoughts began racing through his mind. What was he going to say to Rachel? What was going to happen when he went to her house? Were her dads going to be home? What would he say to them? Do they know about Quinn and their baby?

"Dude, what is with you today?" questioned Finn as he exited the shower room. He looked concerned, not upset.

Imagine how he'd look if he knew what you just did, Puck thought.. His stomach churned.

"Just got some stuff on my mind, you know? I gotta go, but I'll talk to you later, ok?" Puck rushed out without giving Finn a chance to respond. He threw his bag in his truck and peeled out of the parking lot. His mind was racing throughout the drive, thinking of Rachel, thinking of Quinn, Finn, baby Diana Isabel. He was so screwed. He pulled up to her house, but he didn't pull into her driveway in case her dads would need to pull in after him. As he walked to Rachel's door, suddenly he couldn't think anymore. His brain went blank, maybe out of fear. He was going to have to follow Berry's lead again.

She opened the door immediately after he knocked, and he could tell from her look of determination that he was in luck, Rachel Berry would be taking the lead.

"There are a few things that I want to say, and then I'll be ready to open the floor to discussion."

Puck nodded dumbly.

"Ok, good. Let's go upstairs." Rachel grabbed his wrist and began dragging him to her room. Well, she couldn't have forced him to go anywhere even if she tried, but her light tugging as she started to make her way upstairs prompted him to follow along. He couldn't even take in the view of her home, which was almost as large as the Fabray's but it was decorated with an upscale modern touch rather than the traditional décor Quinn's parents favored.

Rachel led him to sit on her bed while she stood in front of him. Puck noticed that she kept the bedroom door open, so he was anticipating a speech, nothing hot. For some reason, that knowledge helped him relax a little, which was odd because the old Puck would have been annoyed at the prospect.

"I'd like to explain my feelings on our situation and how I propose we should proceed." She began pacing as she talked, reeking of nervous energy.

"Based on the intensity of our kissing, I assume that you feel as I do that this friendship is a positive use of our time. However, I do not feel that it will do anybody in the glee club any good to see us share our relationship publically."

Puck was relieved to hear her say that. The knot that he felt in his stomach when he thought of Finn finding out that Puck was making out with Rachel after everything with Quinn was too much to handle. And it's not like he knew where things were going with Rachel—certainly it wouldn't lead to a baby this time, so the less Finn or anyone else knew right now, the better.

Rachel continued, "It's not that I am ashamed. I am most certainly not. But I believe that it would be counter-productive to my efforts to get everyone to bond as friends and teammates this year for us to reveal how we have decided to express our friendship privately. And since I don't want to cease our expression of that friendship between us, I feel it's best if at school we continue to act as if nothing has changed. At least for awhile."

Puck grinned up at Rachel, who had stopped pacing to stand in front of him again. He put his hands on her waist. "I couldn't agree more." Maybe he didn't use big words like Rachel, but he got her meaning.

Rachel's eyes lit up as she bent down for a kiss. She was glad her dads weren't home.

Because Rachel was nothing if not super-organized, she pulled out a schedule that she must have made while Puck was at practice.

"This is my schedule, and I've tentatively indicated the times when I know you have football practice. I know you have other obligations as well. I thought it would be nice to know when we'll be able to see each other. I've set this schedule up for one-month intervals, because you never know…"

Puck stared in wonder at the color-coded posterboard Rachel presented to him. He couldn't help but shake his head. He knew from the way she talked that Rachel was different than most people, but he had come to think of that as just Rachel being Rachel. It had been awhile since he had been confronted with visual evidence of Rachel's quirkiness. She had been wearing new clothes lately, and school had only just started last week. Still, he felt like he should have expected something like this, and now upon seeing the carefully prepared calendar, he didn't feel surprised. He just went with it and tried to think about his schedule.

"Ok, so on most weekends I have to watch my sister until my mom gets home in the evenings. But you could come over on the weekends if you want…"

"Great!" she smiled up at him, as she started filling in some secret symbols on weekend days for the month.

"Oh, and I know I mentioned this before," started Rachel, "but it's worth making clear. I'm not blocking these weekends as makeout times. This arrangement is _friends_ with benefits. That means that when we're together, we should be able to be friendly and talk about our feelings. If you don't think you can participate in that, you should tell me now."

Actually, all Puck had wanted originally was to be friends with Rachel, so it was easy to agree, especially since Rachel's plan added _benefits_.

"I don't foresee a problem," said Puck.

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Foresee?"

"Impressed with my vocabulary, Berry?" he smirked.

"Well, yes. Although actually I was questioning the uncertainty implied by the word 'foresee', but now that I think about it, that is a reasonable answer given the uncertainty inherent in this situation. I accept your answer." Rachel gave a wide smile and extended her hand.

"A handshake, Berry? We can do better than that." Puck pulled her into his arms for a kiss to cement their new arrangement.

…

Rachel was practically walking on sunshine through her classes the next day at school. Noah had to leave soon after their kiss last night, and her dads had arrived home shortly after he left. She was a little nervous about glee that day because she'd have to suppress her urges to run into his arms, but she felt that she was up to this acting challenge. Rachel knew that as a burgeoning young actress, this ongoing act she was about to undertake to keep her relationship with Noah a secret would be excellent training.

As she calmed her nerves, Rachel took a seat in the front row of the music room next to Kurt.

"Are you ready for the big announcement?" Kurt asked her. Kurt received a blank look from Rachel in return.

"Mr. Schuester is introducing the new members today!" Kurt exclaimed. "I'm surprised this hasn't been keeping you up all night with anticipation."

"Kurt, I have better things to think about than who Mr. Schue brings in to glee club." Rachel realized she had used a rather defensive tone. "I'm sure he has made fine selections. He has learned a lot over the last year." she said confidently.

This exchange with Kurt served a good purpose. Rachel had been distracted so that she didn't even notice when Puck (or anyone else) entered the music room.

"Listen up, everyone," said Will. "I want to introduce the newest members of New Directions!"

Rachel looked up and gasped softly, then swallowed hard. Why did so many girls at McKinley have to be so pretty? Rachel couldn't help but feel only mildly attractive. First Quinn, not to mention Santana, and now the two new girls standing before her made it difficult for Rachel, by just their very presence (existence), to feel confident in her looks and appeal to the opposite sex. She knew that it shouldn't be important, but she couldn't help to feel that it was.

"Starting with the ladies, we have Julia MacDonald and Sunanda Patel."

"Call me Sunny," beamed the beautiful girl who appeared to be Indian.

"And I go by Jules," smiled the tall brunette with bright blue eyes.

Rachel couldn't help but steal a glance up at Puck in the back row. Matt was elbowing him and they appeared to be exchanging comments regarding their attractive new teammates. Puck caught her eye, but didn't change his expression. Rachel gave a barely perceptible nod and faced the front with a little huff.

Keep acting, she told herself. Keep your cool. Everything is fine. He's supposed to be Puck, and I'm supposed to be Rachel. Two separate entities that have no reason to be jealous if one party is leering at attractive sophomores who apparently are on the volleyball team (which Rachel learned from Mr. Schue's final description of the girls).

"And last but not least, we have Braden and Jason Holtz." The boy who must be Braden stepped forward first. He was almost as tall as Finn, but he was even skinnier and very gangly. He seemed shy as he peered out from behind blond hair with his greenish-blue eyes. Jason had similar coloring with blond hair and blue-green eyes, but he was shorter and stockier, like a wrestler, not that Rachel would know. His smile was more confident.

Puck may have felt uncomfortable with Rachel's appraisal of Jason, but Rachel was unaware of his gaze on her.

"These two are twins," said Mr. Schue, patting his hands on their shoulders. "Obviously they're identical."

The boys both rolled their eyes at his comment, and then found seats next to each other, near the new girls, in the back row. Their eye rolls gave them cool points in the minds of most of the glee kids.

"And now to get going with our first assignment. We will be preparing for the Winter Concert!" Will was very pleased as he relayed to the students how the concert used to be a tradition at McKinley, but had fallen out of popularity. All of the musical groups would be performing: band, orchestra, and choir. Will was so proud of himself for his song selection for the Winter Concert.

"Everyone will be expecting Christmas songs, since traditionally this concert had been called the Christmas concert, and then the Holiday Concert. But Principal Figgins changed the name to Winter Concert to be more politically correct, and the concert has been reborn this year!" And Will agreed with the change. He even took a page from Sue Sylvester's play book, so to speak, when he decided that in order to recognize diversity, he would treat everyone the same. By this, he decided that they would perform songs that did not recognize any "holiday traditions", no Christmas, no Hanukah, no Kwanzaa, etc. He also thought that his song choice might have special meaning to at least some of his glee kids.

"Ok guys, I'm so excited about this. First, I'm going to play the song we're going to start working on for the Winter Concert. After we listen to the original, we'll talk about the arrangement I've come up with. Some of you may be familiar with this song. It's 'Times Like These', released by the Foo Fighters in 2002." And with that, Will played the song on the portable cd player.

Most of the glee clubbers were confused by Mr. Schue's selection. They had been expecting a holiday song. Even though this was not Rachel's typical music of choice, she began to nod her head as she recognized the message of the song when the first chorus had finished.

_It's times like these, you learn to live again  
It's times like these, you give and give again  
It's times like these, you learn to love again  
It's times like these, time and time again_

At the conclusion of the song, Rachel's hand shot up. "Mr. Schuester! I for one think that this song is an excellent choice!"

"Agreed." said Artie and Puck in unison. Rachel's jaw dropped. Puck raised his hand for Artie to high-five, which Artie returned with some apparent reluctance. Rachel and the other students smiled at the sight. Will was pleased by this display of team unity.

"Great! This is just the effect I was going for with this song. Now, I'm going to divide up the verses into solos and ensembles." Will began handing out sheet music to the students.

"Where's the Christmas song?" Brittany asked Santana.

…

**A.N. It's not going to be all hearts and flowers with Puck and Rachel, if that's what it seems like. Puck is going to be moody—he has a lot to deal with, including feeling guilty for being happy and for keeping another secret. Rachel will be Rachel. Quinn and Finn will be dealing with issues too. I just want to let you know that things will be addressed in future chapters. I'm sorry that I said I'd get this story up to the point where Rachel and Noah are fighting before Thanksgiving Break (where the story started in Chapter 1). It's going to have to occur in Chapter 5 because Chapter 4 grew a little longer than I expected from my outline. But I'm going to try to post the next chapter later this weekend. Also, don't worry about the new glee kids. They've already served their main purpose: to be extra bodies and to spark a little jealousy. **


	5. Tired of You

**A.N.****Thanks so much again for the positive comments and the alerts!****This chapter is song-heavy, but I won't do this often.****I hope in Season 2 we get a real Lea and Mark duet instead of the ones we have to hear in our heads reading fics**! ** Also, the section "November, Junior Year" refers back to Chapter 1. You might want to refresh your memory of that section, but I tried to write it so that it's not essential to check Chapter 1 to continue the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any songs mentioned**

…

**Second week of school, Junior Year**

Puck felt a flash of annoyance when he saw Rachel give him a glance while Mr. Schue introduced the new girls joining glee club. There was _no way_ she could be mad at him. _She_ had wanted to pretend that everything was normal. And what could be more _normal_ than Puck responding when Matt prompted him to check out chicks? _Nothing_.

Even though he and Finn hadn't really spoken much, Puck had still picked up a few things from that idiot-genius about dealing with girls. You had to at least pretend to be concerned about their feelings and shit. And since he and Rachel were just getting started with their secret relationship thing, he knew he was going to have to find a way to talk to her sometime after glee to make sure things were cool. Besides, he did care if she was upset. He'd at least be disappointed if she decided to end things before they really got started (_again_).

Mr. Schuester was assigning singing parts for the song they were preparing for the Winter Concert, so Puck thought he could send Rachel a quick text, hoping she wouldn't check it until after glee so it wouldn't be obvious to anyone who might be watching that he just sent a text to Rachel Berry. He had programmed her into his address book with the star symbol "*" for her name, which was Rachel's idea to help prevent anyone from realizing that they actually converse. He typed in, "meet ur house?", pressed send, and closed his phone. Mr. Schue told everyone to arrange themselves based on the ensemble parts he had just assigned.

"We'll just do a quick run-through of the song before we end for the day," announced Will. "We won't worry about choreography yet, but soloists should come forward during solos, same with duets. Just come to the front to sing your part, and then you can step back into your ensemble groups. Don't worry guys; this is just a first practice." Will made a point to smile encouragingly at the four new sophomores who had just joined New Directions.

Rachel had balked at Mr. Schue's choices for duets. Was he doing this on purpose to make a point or had he merely selected pairings based on vocals? She decided that because Mr. Schue was rather oblivious to a lot of things, he must have made his decisions purely on vocal compatibility. She still felt a twinge of sympathy for Finn and Quinn since there was so much that she knew was left unresolved between them, and Mr. Schue had paired them up for a duet.

The music for the acoustic version of "Times Like These" by the Foo Fighters started, and the first ensemble consisting of Puck, Artie, Mike, and Braden began to sing.

_I--I'm a one way motorway_

Then Puck stepped forward for a solo.

_  
I'm a road that drives away and follows you back home _

The next ensemble of Rachel. Mercedes, Brittany, and Sunny chimed in for their part.

_  
I—I'm a street light shining _

Mercedes sang:_  
I'm a white light blinding bright_

And Rachel added:_  
Burning off and on  
_

For the chorus, all of the boys sang, followed by the girls:_  
It's times like these, you learn to live again  
It's times like these, you give and give again _

And everyone sang the last two lines of the chorus:_  
It's times like these, you learn to love again  
It's times like these, time and time again_

The next ensemble included Finn, Matt, Kurt, and Jason.

_I—I'm a new day rising _

Finn stepped forward for his solo:_  
I'm a brand new sky to hang the stars upon tonight_

The final girls ensemble of Quinn, Tina, Santana, and Jules sang:_  
I—I'm a little divided _

Quinn sang her line:_  
Do I stay or run away?_

Finished by Tina:_  
And leave it all behind?_

Finn joined Quinn to sing a duet of the line:

_It's times like these, you learn to live again _

Artie and Mercedes moved to the front to sing:_  
It's times like these, you give and give again _

And Rachel and Puck stepped up to sing:_  
It's times like these, you learn to love again _

Everyone joined in for the last of the chorus:_  
It's times like these, time and time again _

And these duets were repeated for the final chorus.

By this point, even some of the new kids in glee were picking up on some weird vibes. Quinn had been singing with pleading eyes to Finn, who looked sad and uncomfortable. Artie and Mercedes looked comfortable, but they also shared sympathetic smiles and glances at their fellow soloists. Puck and Rachel appeared to apologize to each other with their eyes during their first duet, and during their second duet, the two looked extremely comfortable, happy even._  
_

Kurt's heart went out to Finn during this debacle of a rehearsal, so he decided to break the tension. "My, my! Either Puck suddenly became an actor to rival your talent, Rachel, or there's something going on here." Everyone turned to face Puck and Rachel, and they too noticed the wide smiles that had suddenly vanished from the faces of the accused.

"Are you questioning my performance ability?" Puck asked.

"Yes!" was the answer from all of the original glee members, excluding Rachel. The new kids just exchanged shrugs and puzzled expressions.

"Ok, say there was something going on; with this great acting ability I have wouldn't I be hiding it?" After the words left Puck's mouth, he realized that this wasn't the best logic since Kurt had been implying that Puck wasn't a good actor. But he soldiered on with a new argument. "It's not Finn you're talking to here. It's Puck. I don't make googley eyes at Rachel in front of everyone unless there's a reason."

"Hey!" interjected Rachel and Finn nearly simultaneously. "We only made so-called googley eyes for the sake of performance too!" said Rachel indignantly.

"Whatever, Berry," Puck smirked.

Rachel huffed to her seat and turned back to glare at him. Puck gave her a wink. Rachel quickly turned back around to hide her smile.

Wow, he was some actor! He almost had her going! Twice in one hour! Rachel knew that already Puck's behavior must be rubbing off on her because she sensed that if he could read her mind, he would make a sexual innuendo from her thoughts. She blushed at her own line of thinking.

Finn was still caught off guard by being called out for his past behavior around Rachel. "Mr. Schue, are we done for the day?" Finn's voice sounded a bit desperate.

"Yes, Finn," Mr. Schuester nodded and waved his hand to confirm that everyone was dismissed. "Nice job, everyone. We will work on this next time."

Kurt was pleased at first that he had diverted the attention from Finn and Quinn, but he was displeased that Puck had managed to turn the focus back to Finn, albeit in a different form. Kurt almost wished he had kept his mouth shut since the end result still seemed to hurt Finn.

Kurt was (mostly) over his crush on Finn. A certain boy at show choir camp over the summer had helped with that. But he still thought of Finn as a friend who might need some advice or help every now and then, especially in the aftermath of Baby-gate. And now, Kurt was very curious about what was going on with Puck and Rachel. He had only brought attention to them because there _was_ something unusual about how they were looking at each other, but he didn't think it really meant anything. Now, there might be a piece of gossip buried somewhere, but Kurt decided that he would keep tabs on this situation rather than launch a full-fledged investigation. He would let his gossip radar pick up any new interesting details in the future.

Rachel and Puck left separately from school as usual, but Puck headed to Rachel's house. Even though everything seemed fine between them, it didn't hurt to make sure. And it never hurt to try to explore the benefits of their relationship, since so far all they had done was make out. As Puck approached Rachel's door, she opened it before he could even knock. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house.

"I'm sorry for doubting you, and I forgive you," Rachel said quickly as she pressed herself against Puck's body and reached up to kiss him. Puck was a little annoyed that she forgave him when he didn't do anything wrong, but this thought didn't last long as his body took over for his brain and responded to Rachel's eagerness. He hadn't learned exactly what to make of this girl, but whatever was going on with her certainly kept him occupied in a more appealing manner than his own thoughts had.

"My dads will be home soon," breathed Rachel, as she pushed her mouth away from his enough to speak. "I think we need to discuss a strategy given Kurt's little outburst today, so let's continue this in my room." They (meaning Rachel) decided between kisses that Puck would have to be a little extra rude to Rachel for awhile during glee rehearsals. Then (again at Rachel's request) they actually practiced their latest song for glee, which apparently led Rachel to bring up Quinn.

"Noah, I think Quinn is having a really hard time dealing with everything," started Rachel, cautiously watching Puck's reactions. "Obviously, the adoption is a difficult thing..." Rachel tried to choose her words carefully.

"Yeah, it's a difficult thing," Puck interjected. "But that was what Quinn wanted. That's not what I wanted. I wanted to be a family. Quinn didn't." Puck was clearly agitated, and he could see Rachel squirming a bit by his outburst. "Hey, I don't have to talk about this, Quinn and stuff, if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about Quinn, your baby, anything," Rachel said adamantly. She had a determined look on her face to match. "But I was wondering," she started softly. "Do you think it would help if you two visited your daughter? Then you both could see that she's in a good environment, happy, and you'd know you did the right thing."

"Maybe," said Puck. "I'll plan to ask Quinn what she thinks the next time I see her." (He didn't.)

Rachel could tell that Noah was hurting from Quinn's rejection of their family and from his decision to allow his daughter to be adopted. She didn't know what more she could say to soothe him right now, so she did the only thing she could. Rachel wrapped him in her arms and kissed him, catching Puck by surprise, since he had been gearing himself up for a Berry lecture.

"Whoa, Berry! Are you taking advantage of my vulnerability?" Rachel stopped, blushing.

"Just kidding, I'm all for it. Have your way with me!" laughed Puck, reclining back on her bed, with his arms open wide.

Rachel snaked her body up his, enjoying the feel of his muscular physique against her softer curves. "I think I'll do just that!" she smiled before initiating another make out session.

…

**Fall Semester, Junior Year**

Being friends (with benefits) with Rachel Berry was like a rollercoaster for Puck. He was up, he was down, the way Kurt would describe girls. On one hand, Puck was seriously physically attracted to Rachel, so there was a big upside. She still wore those tiny skirts often, and he noticed that she had even started wearing trendier clothes so that on most days she actually looked like a normal (hot) teenager.

Before Rachel, Puck hadn't actually fooled around with a girl since Quinn. They had been together before the baby was born, which Quinn blamed on pregnancy hormones that made her crazy for him. But after Dizzy was born, Quinn's body was definitely too sore for sex, and her boobs were sore from breastfeeding, so she totally wasn't into it. Then when she made the decision to give up Dizzy and moved back in with her parents, Puck had been heartbroken. Seriously. He hadn't even tried to go cougar hunting, he had been so depressed. And he was still depressed sometimes, but he couldn't seem to deny Rachel what she clearly wanted. If she wanted his body, who was he to say no?

But being friends with Rachel Berry also meant that he was forced to talk to her and share his feelings. Puck felt like he had multiple personality disorder, which is where the downside came into play. Around Rachel, he was "Noah", the sensitive heartbroken boy who was trying to be a good man, who opened up his feelings, and was damn good in the sack. Ok, they hadn't had sex yet, but they were covering the bases, and Rachel was taking to her lessons like the attentive student that she was. And when they were messing around, he felt his "Puck" side creep up on him. The weird thing was that both "Noah" and "Puck" sides were actual parts of him, he just wasn't used to having them so separated and present so often. Sometimes he thought it would be easier if he could have one integrated personality, but for now that didn't seem to fit into his life.

The "Puck" side was the version of him that basically everyone except for Rachel would see now. He hated acting like a jerk around Rachel, but they had agreed to keep up appearances at school. He didn't go out of his way to be an ass to her, definitely the slushy facials were over; but if an obvious opportunity arose for him to make an obnoxious remark to her in front of the glee kids, he would usually take it. He vacillated between silent brooding and making occasional comments that may or may not involve a little jab at Rachel's expense. He had wanted to just stay silent all the time in glee, but Rachel convinced him that part of her intentions were to help bring the glee kids back to normal and having him sitting in the back of the room barely participating would be a constant reminder that things weren't normal.

What's so great about normal? he had asked her when they formulated this strategy. But he understood what she meant. The "getting back to normal strategy" Rachel had was one of the things they talked about at great lengths during the "friends" parts of their "friends with benefits" sessions.

They had worked out a reasonable schedule, thanks to Rachel's color-coded calendar, that was becoming a comfortable routine. Yes, she made a graphic version of her calendar and emailed it to Puck so that he could consult it on demand and update it with changes. Puck had to admit that some of Rachel's seemingly-annoying habits did help to make life easier. But sometimes she could get carried away and cause herself extra stress with the way that she strived to keep everything perfect, so he took some pride in helping balance her out and calm her down.

Puck and Rachel had been seeing a lot of each other outside of school over the past few months. Whenever Puck would come over when her dads are home, Rachel would say that she's tutoring him in English or rehearsing for glee. They trust her, so Rachel and Puck would often make out in her room with her dads downstairs, but they didn't go as far as they would when they were home alone. And Rachel would go to Puck's house every weekend—sometimes when his mom was home, and often when she wasn't. They would even go on a few dates, but they had to make sure they went to places where they wouldn't be caught by anyone from McKinley, so they were mostly content to hang out together at their parents' houses. Nobody ever questioned Puck about why his truck was so often at Rachel's house, but they still had their tutoring story to explain that away if anyone had asked.

…

**November, Junior Year**

Things between them had been going so well, that neither one of them anticipated their fight at school right before Thanksgiving break. If it didn't seem so bad right before glee rehearsal that November day, that's because the fight got worse. Although in retrospect, Puck thought he should have expected something to go wrong because nothing he's a part of can go right for very long.

It was a few days before Thanksgiving break, when Rachel asked Puck right before glee rehearsal if he was ok with her idea to invite the glee club to her house on the day after Thanksgiving. Puck had been looking forward to not having to deal with school and spending time with Rachel alone. Rachel was explaining how this would be a good bonding experience for the group and how her dads had already agreed to host. Puck was a little pissed that she had gone through with all of these plans before asking him how he felt about it, and he told her so. That's when Rachel went into her precise explanation of why she wanted to invite everyone to her house.

Puck wasn't completely paying attention to her reasoning. She acts like she knows so much and she's always right, when she doesn't _always_ know _everything_. He wasn't really too mad about it, but he was a little upset that she didn't talk to him first before planning this out with her dads because he knew what he'd rather be doing the day after Thanksgiving. That's when he went into his daydream of Rachel Berry that was inappropriate for their current public location. Of course, they were interrupted by Kurt and the other glee kids, and Puck had played off the situation satisfactorily.

During glee rehearsal, Rachel and Puck were still thinking about their fight. Rachel was surprised by Noah's reaction. Didn't he want everyone in glee to be friends? She was planning on telling him part 2 of her plan after school, but she wasn't sure he'd even let her now. And that was the most important part…

For someone with perfect pitch, Rachel could be socially tone deaf, Puck thought. Yeah, his first thought was a music metaphor, so what? He had started out being only slightly upset, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. How could she think that he'd be ok with this? This was the first time he was looking forward to a holiday since his dad left, and this would be his first family holiday since they gave Dizzy up for adoption. All he wanted to do was be with Rachel and relax. But with all of the glee kids around, he'd have to put on his jerk act. He'd have to act all careful around Finn and Quinn. This was getting exhausting and frustrating. What kind of twisted girl is she? Puck was fuming. Was all of this they had shared just part of her master plan to get the glee kids to be friends? He remembered she had talked about that occasionally when they first started this thing, but as things progressed, he had assumed that was just her ploy to get in his pants.

Ok, he told himself to calm down. Of course not all of this was about the glee kids and getting them in winning form, right? He didn't want to 'take one for the team' by giving up a holiday with Rachel for the sake of the glee club. He had to talk to her after practice since if she went through with her plan, she'd be contacting everyone soon to invite them to her house.

During glee they rehearsed "Times Like These" and, sure, Puck and Rachel didn't put on the goofy grins they had worn during their first rehearsal, but that didn't set off any alarm bells with anyone else in glee since they had just witnessed Puck say that Rachel was having a diva moment before rehearsal. Puck sort of registered that Mr. Schue mentioned they'd be doing another number for the Winter Concert that would be combined with the band and orchestra. Puck really wanted to make sure he caught up with Rachel. They never left school together, but he thought today might be worthy of an exception. Well, he and Rachel weren't on the same wavelength, because she had rushed off without giving him a chance to offer her a ride so they could talk right away.

Puck jumped into his truck to head home. He knew from the color-coded schedule (yeah, he consulted it regularly) that Rachel's dads would be home now, and he thought it would be better if they continued their conversation by phone or online. He tried to call Rachel to confirm this, but she didn't answer. Was she trying to be a bitch? Puck put in a cd that he knew would help him vent his frustrations. He skipped to track 9 and heard the hard rock strains of The Exies' song "Normal." He started to sing along with the second verse and chorus.

_Serve your daily rituals  
Then make up the rules to suit yourself  
I'll never be what you are  
So why don't I just start to hate myself?_

_You don't know me  
I'm immune, I am free  
Not a slave to your beliefs  
I'm immune, out of reach  
You're alone, stuck with your disease  
You hate the things that I say, and who I seem to be  
But you don't look so normal to me_

_You don't look so normal to me!_

The song didn't make his anger flare, but actually helped him to calm down a bit because he knew things weren't that bad with Rachel, and neither Rachel nor Puck qualified as "normal". He also realized that track 8 on his cd might be just what he needed to smooth things over with her. When he got home, he jumped online to message her, and luckily she was online too. "Call me. Let's talk. I have a song I want you to hear." His phone rang, and he sent the link to the song.

"Hey, Rachel, I want to talk to you about your Thanksgiving plan. I was hoping you'd listen to this song because it says a lot of what I want to say."

"Well, it seems I can tell from the song title what you think. 'Tired of You'? Not very subtle, Noah."

"It's tell you I'm NOT tired of you! Can't you just listen to the damn song? I don't know why I thought you'd behave like a normal girlfriend. I mean this is Rachel Berry here, allowances have to be made for this particular brand of bat-shit-crazy." He was yelling into the phone. Puck realized that she hung up on him. _Shit_. He was an ass. He was going to have to sneak into Rachel Berry's. He hoped she had a tree near her window. He couldn't remember. But he knew that he couldn't climb the wall outside her bedroom, even with his shoes.

While Rachel had been on the receiving end of Puck's tirade, her eyes had widened when he said "girlfriend" and then narrowed by the time he got to "crazy". Her heart had leaped and then was shattered in a matter of seconds. No one whose opinion she cared about had ever yelled at her before. Sure, she and Noah had fights, but it was more like trading insults, play fighting, and tickling, all of which usually ended in hot make out sessions. Rachel flung herself onto her bed crying.

Puck parked across the street from Rachel's house and slung his guitar on his back. Since he knew she didn't listen to the song he sent, she wouldn't know that he can't hit the high notes like the lead singer. She'll like his version better anyway. Things were never simple with Rachel Berry. She couldn't just listen to the damn song. He should have thought to sing it for her in the first place. No, he couldn't let himself be caught up in her whirlwind of crazy. He behaved like a normal human being by sending her the song—there was nothing wrong with that. But now he was going to fix this mess.

Puck was in luck, finding a climbable tree outside Rachel's window. He just prayed she'd let him inside. He tapped on her window. He took a deep breath. I hope this works, he thought. It was a cold November day in Lima. He blew to fog up her window and wrote: So sorry I (heart) u. Sure, he wasn't ready to tell her "I love you" yet, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He was ready for "I heart you".

Rachel wiped her eyes and tried to compose herself before opening her window. For a moment she thought about ignoring him, but she was worried about him out there on the tree, and his message on her window was having the intended effect of softening her heart. But he had a lot of apologizing to do!

Relieved at the window opening, Puck managed to pass Rachel his guitar before climbing inside. Rachel didn't trust herself to speak yet without crying and looking like more of a mess, so she just handed him his guitar, and stood with her arms crossed.

"Uh, Rachel, I'm really sorry I yelled at you. I really want to play you this song, and then let's talk, ok?"

With Rachel's nod, Puck began the slow melody of "Tired of You".

_Where did I go wrong?_  
_Can't look you in the eye  
Feeling so ashamed  
Feels like I could die_

Puck sang the chorus, pleading with Rachel:_  
Hold me up and don't let go  
I've had enough…  
I'm tired of breathing  
Tired of feeling  
Tired of looking at the past for meaning  
Tired of running  
Tired of searching  
Tired of trying  
But I'm not tired of you_

Losing everything  
It's something I can't face  
Hope is on the run  
It's something I can't fake

Puck decided it was safe to skip the second chorus so that he could sing the next verses before taking Rachel in his arms. He really wanted her to hear and understand the whole song.__

I want to feel a change  
I don't mind if it hurts  
You take away the pain  
You're the only thing that's pure

Puck sang the final chorus, watching the tears well up in Rachel's eyes._  
Hold me up and don't let go  
I've had enough  
I'm tired of breathing  
Tired of feeling  
Tired of looking at the past for meaning  
Tired of running  
Tired of searching  
Tired of trying  
But I'm not tired of you_

_Not tired of you_

"Oh, Noah!" cried Rachel. Puck set down his guitar just in time as she charged into his arms.

…

**A.N. Ok, this is a long chapter, in part because of the songs. I was going to end it before the make-up, but I decided the (American) holiday weekend deserved a happy ending, especially since I probably won't be able to update the story for a week or so. Next up is the reveal of part 2 of Rachel's plan for why she wants to invite the glee club to her house over the holiday. We'll get more of the glee characters, especially Quinn. I have the basic plan for where this is going, but if anyone has suggestions or characters you'd like to see featured more heavily, please leave a comment to let me know. Thanks!**


	6. The beginning in the middle for Quinn

**A.N.****Part of this chapter is rated 'light M' for flashbacks of Puck and Quinn when she was pregnant and living with him.****Not suitable for younger readers, but very tame for adults. (I've made indications of where to skip the Quinn part in the middle.) This is another long chapter. Thanks so much for reviews, alerts, favorites, and sticking with this story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, or any songs, or any movies mentioned**

…

**November, Junior Year**

"So, yeah, that's how I feel…" said Puck sheepishly as soon as Rachel had let him up for air after his performance for her. "I'm sorry I got so worked up and yelled at you," he mumbled.

"I accept your apology," said Rachel.

Puck was a little worried about this thing he had with Rachel Berry. He had managed to yell at her twice in one day, and he was still a little pissed at her because he felt that he wasn't the only one who should be apologizing. This girl could make him _so_ angry sometimes.

"And…?" prompted Puck. Rachel's brows furrowed.

She seriously doesn't think she did anything wrong! Puck was staring at her, incredulous, but Rachel came up with an answer after a few seconds.

"Oh! I'm sorry too! I acted rashly! I didn't give your song a chance based on the title!" Rachel exclaimed in a rush. She smiled brightly, pleased that she found the answer.

"Anything else?" Puck pushed. Rachel's puzzled face reappeared.

This time she spoke slowly in measured tones. "Yes. I am sorry that I didn't account for the possibility that you would not appreciate my idea to invite the glee club to my house after Thanksgiving."

Puck nodded. "That's what I wanted to hear. Now, I think we'd better work something out before I decide if I can forgive you for that or not." He reached for her with a smirk.

"Wait just a minute! I still want to invite everyone over! And I wanted to talk to you about something important!"

Puck sighed loudly and flopped onto her bed. "Alright, go," he commanded, with a wave of his hand.

At this prompting, Rachel began the speech she had been preparing. Normally, Rachel might have pointed out that Puck was behaving like a lout (and a drama queen), but she was anxious to explain her idea.

"Noah, I have an idea I would like you to consider. I suggest that you and Quinn should visit baby Diana during Thanksgiving Break," Rachel paused, gauging Puck's reaction. He sat up a little in her bed, crossed his arms in front of him, and raised one eyebrow. It wasn't the look she'd been hoping for (the "Eureka! Rachel, you're a genius!" look), but it wasn't the "Are you out of your mind? You're dead to me" look she had feared. So she continued.

"I think it would be nice to start a family tradition in which you choose a holiday, like one that's about being thankful and being with family; for you and Quinn to visit Diana. That's why I'm suggesting Thanksgiving. You should make sure to take a picture, and you can each even write a note that commemorates the day, saying what you did that day and how much you love your daughter. When Diana is older, she can choose how much to know about her birth parents, and she will have these wonderful mementos to show her how truly loved she is." Rachel finished and sat next to Puck hesitantly.

"Ok…what does this have to do with inviting everyone to your house?" Puck was touched by Rachel's idea, but he was confused since this seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Oh, right. I forgot to include that part." Rachel stood back up, since that's how she had practiced delivering her speech.

"I like to be very organized and in control of every situation. I don't think that I should go with you on this visit, at least this first visit, so I want to give myself something to occupy my mind. Otherwise, I would go crazy thinking about what is happening and wishing I could be there. In addition, I think it would be a nice bonding experience for the rest of glee club. We always have leftovers, and this will be a practical way to get rid of all of that turkey and the starchy side dishes. Finally, I'm afraid that Quinn won't attend this group activity because she's been a bit distant from everyone, but if she plans to meet you at my house to go visit your daughter, then she'll probably come by and help promote team unity."

Actually, Quinn, Finn, and Noah had all been distant, but now was not the time to focus on this, Rachel told herself. Noah always seemed to tense up at the mention of Finn's name, so she made a point not to talk about Finn for now.

"I'm torn between impressed and terrified, Berry." He was half-joking, half-confessing. "You've really given this a lot thought, haven't you?" Puck asked softly. He was kind of amazed, but Rachel's intense thought process also made him nervous. Everything with her was so _detailed_.

"Well, in my unique situation, I've always wanted to know more about my mother. Maybe she wanted to be a star too. Maybe she needed a little money, so she donated her eggs. The arrangement was always meant to be closed, so I have no choice. I'd like to know more than what was on the application. But you… You have an open adoption, so you can give your daughter the choice to know you when she's older."

"What if they, uh, her parents, have plans?"

"Well, if we contact them soon enough, I imagine we can arrange it. She's their new baby, so they might not travel. Surely we can find a day for you to visit around the holiday, even if you have to skip school one day."

Oh yeah, missing school was fine by Puck. Rachel Berry was really smart.

A feeling of tenderness washed over Noah Puckerman. Maybe it was because he was thinking of his daughter. Maybe it was because Rachel was pouring her heart out and coming up with elaborate plans with him in mind. Maybe it was both. He pulled her into his arms.

"I think you just might be the best thing that ever happened to me, Rachel Berry."

"Really?! I think so too."

Puck laughed. "You think you're the best thing that ever happened to me?!"

Rachel paused, as though considering this question. "Maybe. But I meant that you're the best thing that ever happened to me."

Rachel didn't bother to qualify this statement. Obviously he wasn't _alway_s the best thing in her life, but it was _certainly_ true _now_. She knew it was understood and best left unsaid.

…

They decided (Rachel decided and he agreed) that Puck had to ask Quinn if she wants to be included in the visit because clearly Rachel couldn't do so without jeopardizing their secret relationship. But Rachel offered to contact the adoptive parents to make the arrangements for the meeting. Puck approached Quinn before glee rehearsal.

"So, uh, I had this idea," started Puck. He fumbled his way through the idea, trying to remember exactly what Rachel had said to make it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. "…And, uh, we could take a picture, and write a letter to Dizzy and stuff." Wow, he didn't realize he would feel this awkward talking to Quinn, although it _had_ been a while. _Damn_, she was beautiful, even with those sad eyes. He couldn't help thinking it because it was obvious. Not recognizing that she was beautiful would have been like not recognizing that Kurt is (flaming) gay. Obvious. He didn't think he was still in love with her, but his stomach was in knots and his palms were sweaty as he explained the plan to visit their daughter.

"And all this was _your_ idea?" Quinn looked up at him skeptically, one eyebrow raised.

"Me and Oprah," he shrugged. "Think about it and let me know," Puck said as they walked into the music room. Quinn nodded and sat at the opposite end of the room from Puck.

It would be a beautiful idea if it didn't scare her so much. Quinn bit her lip as she imagined what it would be like to follow through with Puck's plan to visit Dizzy together. And to make this a regular event? Part of the reason Quinn had chosen adoption was so that she could get her life back to normal. She couldn't give her baby girl to crazy Mrs. Schuester—that woman was stalking Mr. Schue now! It was probably better that they had found a nice couple that lived in the next county so that Quinn didn't have to see Mr. Schue daily and know that he had her baby. Then she'd never be able to get over it. She felt so guilty all the time because she loved her baby, but sometimes she hated her existence. She was a bad person.

And what did this mean for Puck? Was he trying to get back together with her? She didn't really think so because he hadn't been giving her puppy-dog-eyes or really even paying any attention to her at all lately. But it was strange. He had seemed nervous around her, like a kid with a crush. But maybe it was just the idea of what they would be doing—visiting their daughter for the first time. Quinn had occasional flashes of regret for breaking up the little family she and Puck had created with little Diana Isabel.

Quinn remembered when the truth came out that Puck was the father. Puck had driven her to Finn's house to get her things…

… _(Skip if you don't want to read a nearly-M-type scene of Quinn's flashback)_…

Thankfully, Mrs. Hudson wasn't home, and Finn was somewhere blowing off steam. Probably with Rachel Berry. Quinn left her key to their house on the kitchen table with a note that read, "I'm sorry. I wanted you to be the father." She and Puck drove in silence to his house. Puck explained (mostly) everything to his mom, who was fairly understanding, but not happy that Quinn wasn't Jewish. Quinn moved into the guest room, and when they started turning the room into the nursery, she would often sneak into Puck's room at night. Eventually, her move to his bedroom became permanent. For some reason, she had become extremely attracted to him again. Even though she had only had sex once, she could tell that she was horny. The first time she brought it up to Puck and they tried to have sex, it was a little bit like the movie "Knocked Up", with Puck a bit freaked out about hurting the baby, and Quinn a bit uncomfortable with her body. But Puck's discomfort lasted about 30 seconds, and right away he was asking if they could do it without a condom since she was already pregnant.

"No! For two reasons," Quinn had told him. "One: STDs, hello! Two: I'm not comfortable with the idea of your semen swimming around our daughter."

Puck shuddered at the mental image. He agreed to the condom.

While they were having sex, Quinn knew that this was how it was meant to be. If she had sex with Finn like this, it would have been awkward because he was a virgin who had early arrival issues and she didn't know much either. But Puck…he knew how to be gentle and to make her enjoy it. And he looked at her like she was the most beautiful girl in the world. Even with her pregnant belly and her enlarged breasts. Actually, he had become fascinated by her boobs as she writhed on top of him and it seemed he couldn't get enough of them. She was fascinated by his body too—he really was gorgeous, like a Greek statue. Finn was beautiful and sweet, but Puck…he was _magnetic_! Wow, she hadn't thought about this for a long time, but maybe she missed the way Puck could make her feel.

Quinn could tell she was blushing in the middle of glee, and she hoped nobody noticed. Not that they could read her mind or anything. She continued going through the motions of rehearsing "Times Like These" with the simple choreography they were learning, but her mind drifted back to the months she had lived with Puck.

She never could bring herself to call him "Noah". It was always "Puck". She had tried out "Noah" once, during sex, but she couldn't keep it up. It didn't feel right, even if that was his name. "Noah" was too sweet, responsible, and trying so hard to be a good man at 16. She needed him to be "Puck", the (sexy) bastard who knocked her up and sent "sexts" to hot girls. After Quinn had moved in, Puck had agreed to end the sexting to prove he could be with her. It helped that she was finally in the stage of her pregnancy that made her horny, so she was willing (more than willing,_ eager_) to have sex with him on a fairly regular basis. It was during this period that Quinn _seriously_ entertained the idea that the three of them could be a family. Puck's mom was warming up to her and his sister seemed to like her (she told Puck that Quinn was the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen, even with her big belly, and the thought of that amused and warmed Quinn's heart). She could see herself settling into this family with Puck.

But there were so many things about Puck that annoyed her, and it got worse after Diana Isabel was born. Puck could still be pretty immature—he liked _comic books_ and collected weapons like those _stupid nunchucks_. He chewed tobacco and smoked (annoying, gross, and expensive habits), although he started trying to quit for the baby. The worst was that Puck was content to drop out of school to work full time to support them. It would seem like this demonstration of responsibility should be a good thing, but it wasn't to Quinn.

Quinn had a romantic fantasy about what her life would be like. She would marry Finn eventually if he could prove to be worthy, but if not, they would have a friendly break up and she would meet the love of her life in college. He would go on to be a lawyer, a doctor, a businessman—something respectable that would make a comfortable living. And Quinn was smart, she would have a good job too, though she wasn't sure yet what she wanted to be. But one thing she knew. She did not want to marry a Lima loser who had no ambition. Puck had professed his desire to provide for her and drop out of school, and Quinn knew that their family could not last.

Yes, she knew she was shallow, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to have nice things. She wanted to be able to provide nice things for her daughter. She and Puck couldn't afford to keep Dizzy unless he dropped out of school before the fall semester to work full time and she took the semester off of school to take care of their baby until they could save up enough money to enroll her in daycare. It would have been different if her parents hadn't disowned her, but they had to deal with the reality of their situation.

The realization had been hard for her, but it seemed worse for Puck. Quinn had tried to reason with him, that Dizzy would be taken care of by adult parents better than they could care for her.

Really, Quinn didn't trust herself. Quinn would be bursting with love one minute for her little girl, and then the next minute she'd be changing a dirty diaper and mentally cursing herself and her little baby (!) for this life-ruining mistake. And that made her hate herself and fear for how she could be a good mother when part of her resented the existence of her own baby.

"But I love her," Puck had declared the first time Quinn seriously mentioned adoption. "And I love you!"

"Puck," Quinn had said compassionately but firmly. "You may love me, and I love you, but we're not _in_ love."

Puck let out a sharp laugh. "You're the mother of my child. I think you're beautiful even when you're the size of a walrus, so _yeah_, I think I'm _in_ love with you!"

Quinn didn't dignify the walrus remark. It _was_ kind of sweet in a _Puck_ way. But she had to say something important.

"Puck, I'm not in love with you." Her eyes were filled with tears. It was the truth—she wasn't in love with him. She was too shallow, and he didn't fit her perfect mold. She hated herself for not being completely in love with this beautiful boy who was trying his best. She hated herself for resenting her own baby. It would have been easier if she had fallen head over heels in love with them both. Puck had stormed out for awhile, but later when he came back, they talked about the adoption option. Quinn had been thinking of adoption for awhile, but she kept changing her mind. She kept coming back to the adoption idea even after it was clear that Mrs. Schuester was not fit to be a parent because she knew she could find the right people, and she and Puck were not going to be able to be good parents in high school. Dizzy was a beautiful baby (and that wasn't just a mother's point of view, it was a fact. How could she not be beautiful, given her parents?). So Quinn knew it would be easy for adoptive parents to love her (because most people are shallow too, it's biological).

Puck had convinced her to give it through the summer to see if they could do this together. Not everyone had to be in love to have a family. They could be non-traditional or whatever, Puck had told her. But finally towards the end of the summer, Quinn had convinced Puck that adoption was the best choice for everyone.

… (_End Quinn's flashback with near-M-rating)_…

Did she regret that choice? No. Well, sometimes. But only when she was feeling lonely. She missed Puck, she missed Dizzy, and she missed Finn. She was trying to get back into a semblance of _normal_. Puck's suggestion that they visit Dizzy filled her with hope and trepidation. She realized though, she could _never_ be normal now. So she made up her mind to tell Puck that she would join him on the visit with their little girl.

After glee, Rachel announced that everyone would receive e-vites to come to her house the day after Thanksgiving. "It will be a great bonding experience for all of the members. We'll have leftovers and hang out and watch movies and things. It will be very casual. If you plan to go shopping for the early morning holiday sales, feel free to stop by my house later. I hope you all will at least stop by at some point." She gave a bright smile and left the room.

Puck approached Quinn. "Hey, I could pick you up so we could go to Rachel's together. Then we can leave to go visit Dizzy. Are you in?"

"Oh, you're actually going to that?" Quinn was surprised. "I didn't take you for the group bonding type."

"What did you take me for?" Puck smirked.

"It's nothing." Quinn glanced at him uncomfortably and then composed herself. "Sure, I'll go with you to Rachel's and we can leave from there on Friday. It's a nice idea, Puck." Quinn smiled at him, and then quickly walked away shaking her head. She did not know what to make of that boy.

…

Rachel had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday with her dads and some friends of the family. She had desperately wanted to invite Noah, but it's not like he was her boyfriend. She assumed that he would be spending the day with his family anyway. She called him that night to talk about their plans for the next day. She made him promise to come see her after he visited Dizzy to tell her all about it. He agreed immediately and suggested that they spend as much time together as possible on Saturday and Sunday. He suspected he would need some of Rachel's special attention after the emotional event planned for Friday.

Friday morning Rachel was awake early to prepare for the big occasion. The Berry house was already clean, but she wanted everything to be perfect. Her dads had left. They even agreed to stay out extra long to do some shopping for Hanukkah and Christmas (they celebrated both, and Rachel was spoiled with gifts every year). After Rachel finished straightening up the house and arranging seating for optimum socializing among the glee members, she bounded upstairs to change into her ensemble. She'd be entertaining in the house, so she didn't dress for the cold November weather. She looked over her fitted blouse, short but tasteful skirt, and completed the outfit with her warm slipper-socks that pulled up to her knees. Casual but cute, she thought. She heard the doorbell rang, and she felt a wave a mild panic. She hadn't expected anyone so soon. And she wasn't exactly confident that her idea would go over very well. Rachel bounded back downstairs to answer the door.

"You're early!" cried Rachel. She didn't do a good job of hiding her frown at the sight of Noah with Quinn at her door. Sure, it was her idea, but she wasn't mentally prepared to see it yet.

"Nice greeting, Berry," smirked Puck.

"I hope that's ok," Quinn said as she pushed past Puck. "We're leaving early."

"Of course, please come in," smiled Rachel politely as she opened the door wider. "You're the first to arrive. Do you want something to drink while you wait? I'm still reheating the leftovers."

Puck and Quinn nodded and followed Rachel to the kitchen as she listed the beverage choices. "Well, I'm driving later, so beer's out," said Puck.

Rachel gaped at him. "Of course I wouldn't offer you beer, Noah Puckerman! We're all minors!"

"Relax, Berry. I was just joking." Rachel's face reddened.

"Don't mind him," Quinn said, as she put a hand on Puck's arm. "That's typical Puck behavior," she said with a knowing smile. Rachel's face reddened even more, but she hoped Quinn didn't notice. What was this feeling? Jealousy? Possessiveness? Rachel didn't like what she felt as she watched Puck and Quinn interact with such ease and familiarity. She wanted to tell Quinn that she knew _Noah's_ behavior _very well_. But she managed to restrain herself.

"So, water for both of you then?" She heard a "sure" from Puck and a polite "yes, thank you" from Quinn, but she kept her back to them as she busied herself with glasses, ice, and water.

"Do you know when Finn and the rest of the guys will be here?" asked Quinn nonchalantly, but Rachel and Puck saw through her act. "I already talked to Brit and Santana, so I know they'll be here soon," Quinn said in her attempt to explain her question. Rachel was relieved to detect Quinn's interest in Finn. Puck wasn't sure what he was feeling.

"No, I don't know. But Finn said he'd be late." (Rachel added silently, _because he's coming after I call to tell him you've left_.) "Feel free to have some snacks while we wait for the others to arrive." Rachel gestured to several trays of food.

They only had a few minutes of awkward quiet and snacking while Rachel finished reheating the leftovers before the doorbell rang. Puck thanked God for the diversion, glancing between the girl he arrived with and the girl he was with secretly. Rachel took a deep breath and hoped that inviting everyone to her house was not a huge mistake.

Once everyone arrived, except for Finn, Rachel announced that they could move from the snacks to the main course. With more people to entertain, Rachel's mind had turned from watching Puck and Quinn to tending to her guests, and she was grateful for the distraction. Everyone seemed to be clustering into their typical groups, so Rachel also made a point to try to include the new sophomores who had recently joined New Directions. She had some icebreaker games and things she was planning to introduce after the meal, and she had some choices for movies to watch as well. While they ate, the guys were watching sports, and the girls were chatting. Rachel noticed the time and knew that Noah and Quinn had better be leaving soon. As if on cue, Puck stood up and took his plate and Quinn's into the kitchen. Quinn started saying her goodbyes, she thanked Rachel, and stepped outside to discretely wait for Puck. Rachel then went to the kitchen to check on Noah and say goodbye.

"Thanks, Rach," he said quietly. "I'll talk to you soon." She smiled and nodded, but knowing that someone could enter the kitchen at any moment, she didn't make a move towards him. He nodded too and returned to the living/dining area, where he made an announcement to the group that he had to leave.

Rachel peered through the gauzy window sheers as Noah left her house. He helped Quinn into his truck. Rachel swallowed hard. It didn't help that they were both dressed up for their visit, and they made a beautiful couple.

What was I thinking? I'm deliberately driving him into Quinn's arms!

The trouble is…she _had_ wanted to test him in a way. There was nothing wrong with multi-tasking, right? Rachel had put into motion her multi-level plan that 1) brought Noah some peace regarding his daughter; 2) brought Quinn some peace regarding her decision; 3) brought the glee club together for some much-needed bonding to ease tensions between Finn, Puck, and Quinn and hopefully lead to successful competitions; and 4) brought Noah and Quinn together so that Rachel could find out if they were in love with each other.

She didn't delude herself into thinking that she was attempting to be a matchmaker for Noah and Quinn or that she would be happy if they did fall in love as a result of her plan. Rachel wanted to judge how he would act around Quinn to determine if there was any hope for her. Then she would know if she would let herself keep up this business with Noah or if she would cut it off before she got herself too hurt. Rachel was afraid that she was letting herself fall in love with Noah Puckerman. Surely their physical relationship brought this out in her because she recognized that she wasn't behaving like a platonic friend. She should just ignore her fears and enjoy what they have. She and Noah really were friends (secretly), and it seemed to Rachel that they were both very much enjoying all aspects of their relationship.

Why do I have to push things? Rachel thought. She should have been happy that her ambitious plan was working. At least she would have some evidence of where she stood with Noah compared to Quinn. The only part of her plan that hadn't started working yet was the part regarding Finn.

As she watched Noah and Quinn drive away, Rachel reached for her phone absently and hit her speed dial number for Finn.

"They're gone."

…

**A.N.****A little uncertainty for the end of this one… I threw in some Quinn (inspired by reviews) to explain a little more about what happened between Puck and Quinn in my little universe. I hope I didn't throw you for a loop. I'm trying to play with multiple points of view. If you like it or if you don't, please leave a comment to let me know! If you like it, I'll probably do a little bit from Finn again soon, and I'll revisit Kurt. Disclaimer: The "you're dead to me look" was inspired by How I Met Your Mother, which I also don't own.**


	7. Easy Alliances, Truths and Lies

**A.N.** A quick note after my last chapter: I just want to assure you that this is a Puck/Rachel story. I'm just doing some different points of view and adding some drama that I think would be realistic and fit with the story. Some of that includes glimpses of Puck/Quinn and Rachel/Finn in various forms.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee.

…

**November, Junior Year**

"Please come in, Finn," greeted Rachel.

"Thanks, Rach," smiled Finn. "Hey, guys," he addressed the group. "Sorry I'm late! What'd I miss?"

Rachel gave him a knowing smile, but didn't mention that he missed exactly what he wanted to miss: his ex-girlfriend and his ex-best friend. "Everyone has been eating leftovers. C'mon, I'll show you what we have."

Finn hadn't wanted to miss the chance to hang out with Rachel and the rest of the glee club, but after he caught a glimpse of Puck talking to Quinn before glee that week, he felt sick. Every time he looked at either one of them, he imagined what Puck had done with Quinn, _his_ Quinn. The girl who wouldn't let _him_ get to second base, let Puck go _all the way_. And then _they lied_ to him. All that time he had felt guilty for his feelings towards Rachel. All that time he had wasted trying to show Quinn he was good enough for her and _their_ baby. It just made him sick.

He might have felt a little better if things had worked out between him and Rachel. They had tried to be more than friends, dating briefly before the end of sophomore year. But Rachel had ended it, saying that everyone should work on being friends for a while. She kind of left it open ended, but she didn't really look at him the way she used to, so Finn was slowly realizing that being "friends for a while" with Rachel might mean she'd never date him again. His life sucked.

Rachel was pointing out all of the food, and Finn was nodding and filling up his plate. Rachel smiled up at him and led him to a seat. "Hey, everyone. Now that Finn's here, why don't we engage in some activities to get to know each other better?"

You don't have to be Puck to come up with a sexual innuendo for that remark. Even Finn thought that sounded like an invitation to start an orgy.

"What's so funny?" frowned Rachel. "Here, bring your plates if you're still eating. Gather around the dining table. We're playing '2 truths and a lie'."

There were plenty of eye rolls and grumbles, but everyone complied with Rachel's demands. Sure, it was a dumb icebreaker game, but maybe it wouldn't be that bad.

"Why don't we play 'I Never' instead?" piped up Mike Chang, high-fiving Matt Rutherford.

Surprisingly, Rachel was familiar enough with this game to shoot down the suggestion immediately. "We're not playing a drinking game. It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon! And that's the least important reason! Besides, '2 truths and a lie' can be fun, and it will help us get to know each other better."

"That sounds great, Rach," said Finn. "Count me in."

"Thank you, Finn." And there were eye rolls and comments at this little exchange too.

"Since some of you may not be familiar with the game, I will explain it. Everyone comes up with three things to share about yourself. Two things must be true. One thing must be a lie. We have to guess which one is the lie. Now, you want to make the truths interesting—something that could possibly be a lie. We'll all learn new things about each other. And it's no fun if you just say something like, 'I have 2 dogs. I have 2 cats. I have a sister.' You know?" Rachel made a point to look at Brittany to get an indication if she understood. Brittany nodded slowly, with her usual blank stare.

A terrible thought popped into Rachel's head. Brittany and Finn would have the sweetest, dumbest babies. Immediately, Rachel clapped her hand over her mouth. She hadn't said it out loud, but she was so shocked that she even thought it.

"What's wrong, Rachel?" Finn looked at her concerned.

"Oh, it's nothing, just my internal monologue." Rachel mentally slapped herself. "I mean, I was just thinking to myself. And I forgot…that as a good hostess, I should be asking who wants refills on their drinks before we get involved in the game." It was lame, but Finn would probably buy it, and that was better than admitting that she had just had a disparaging thought about his intelligence.

"Ok, everyone give me your drink orders and start thinking of your three things."

"I'll help you with the drinks," offered Finn. That boy really is _so_ sweet, thought Rachel. _Too_ sweet maybe. A girl likes a little bad in her boy.

Did she really just think that?!

…

Puck and Quinn pulled up to the Harris' house. It was a large, lovely home. They looked at each other nervously.

"So, we're really doing this?" Quinn asked.

"We're really doing this," Puck affirmed. With a nod, he hopped out of the truck and went to the passenger side to help Quinn down. She kept a hold of his hand (just to help calm her nerves) as they walked to the door. They were about to see their daughter.

"Quinn, Noah, do come in," welcomed Mr. Harris. "Melanie is in the living room with Diana. Go right in." Puck looked over the man, trying to be subtle. He was taller than Puck, but not as tall as Finn. He wasn't Jewish, but Puck knew that already. Mitchell Harris had sandy brown hair and blue eyes and he seemed manly enough, and nice enough too. Puck didn't see Dizzy right away, so he had a chance to check out Melanie Harris too. Not "check her out" but fill his mind with what she looked like. Sure, he had met them both before, before they agreed to the adoption, but that had been several months ago. He wanted to make sure they were still good enough for his daughter and to compare them to his idea of the perfect parents. Melanie was a slender woman with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was Jewish. Puck (and his mom) had wanted Dizzy to have one Jewish parent (at least), mirroring her _real_ parents.

Melanie turned to face them, with Diana Isabel in her arms. Puck's breath caught in his throat. She was beautiful. She was 7 months old now, and she had grown even more beautiful than the last time Puck had seen her. She looked like a little person. Like a little Quinn, with Puck's nose and hair (sans Mohawk). Her eyes were large and round, and their color was a mixture of greens that had to come from both Puck and Quinn.

Puck noticed that Quinn's eyes were filled with tears, just before his vision got a little blurred by his own tears. (What do you expect? It's his daughter!)

"Would you like to hold her?" Melanie asked.

They both nodded at her, still speechless. "After you," said Puck, gesturing to Quinn.

"Thank you," said Quinn, her words meant for both Puck and Melanie.

"She's so beautiful," said Quinn and Puck simultaneously.

…

It was Finn's turn for '2 truths and a lie'.

"Boy, have I got some doozies," Finn said. He thought about how he had so many truths that would seem like lies, but to his embarrassment, most of the glee club already knew them. 1) I thought that I could get a girl pregnant after a hot tub incident with our swimsuits on. 2) My girlfriend had sex with my best friend while we were dating, but wouldn't let me touch her boobs. 3) My girlfriend lied and told me she was pregnant with my child when my best friend was the father. 4) I sang a weird song to my girlfriend shortly before she was kicked out of her parents' house. It had been Kurt's idea. 5) My mom caught me singing to a sonogram. It had been Kurt's idea. The list of bizarre and unbelievable truths could go on and on.

The new sophomores in glee smiled at Finn, waiting for his excellent statements. The original glee members exchanged uncomfortable looks with Finn and each other. Rachel patted Finn's leg reassuringly. She hadn't thought about how this game could become uncomfortable for Finn, although in hindsight she should have. Finn grabbed her hand and held it under the table while he proceeded. He was grateful for her attempt to put him at ease. He could really use more of Rachel Berry in his life.

"Ok, my favorite band right now is "Dashboard Confessional"; I've gotten high before; and I've gotten stuck on a rollercoaster at King's Island."

They went around the table, allowing everyone to guess which one was the lie. Most believed that Finn was too straight-laced for the statement "I've gotten high". When Finn announced that the lie was the rollercoaster story, more than a few people were surprised.

"Really, Finn?" Rachel asked, trying to free her hand from his.

"Yeah, remember Vitamin D? I'm pretty sure that counts." Finn squeezed her hand again.

"Oh, right. I guess that counts since it certainly caused an altered state of mind."

"Hey, Rach, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Finn looked at her imploringly.

"Sure, Finn. Everyone, please continue the game in our absence." Rachel received eye rolls in response, but as she headed into the kitchen, she heard Tina start with her three statements. Rachel had a feeling that her little party wasn't going too badly.

Finn got right to the point when they reached a private corner of the kitchen. "You know, you said we should work on being friends for a while. But we haven't really done anything friendly until today, and it's almost the end of the semester. I was hoping that we could, you know, hang out." He gave her what he hoped was an irresistible smile.

It was.

"Oh, how careless of me! I've been caught up in…personal matters lately. I agree. We should make it a point to see each other in a friendly capacity." Rachel smiled back at Finn. Maybe eventually she could bring Finn and Noah back together as friends…and Quinn too, as friends.

"So as your friend, I was curious about how you knew that Puck and Quinn were leaving early from you're your party. When I told you I was uncomfortable around them and not sure about coming to your party, you told me right away that it wouldn't be a problem because they'd be leaving early. I didn't think about it right then, but now, I'm just wondering how you knew that."

"Oh, that's easy, Finn. They each told me right away, separately, that they'd come, but leave early."

"So you don't think there is anything going on between them anymore?" Finn needed to hear what Rachel thought about this. He thought maybe he could get used to seeing them both in glee club as long as he knew they weren't _doing it _anymore.

That's a good question, thought Rachel. "Romantically, no, I don't think so, Finn. But they do have something between them, something that will always be there." She looked at him to make sure that he understood what she didn't say. (_The baby_.) Finn was pretty astute regarding emotions and communication, even if he didn't have much of a vocabulary.

He nodded. "Thanks, Rachel. I just needed to hear your opinion. What you think is really important to me."

Rachel was flattered. "Well, _friend_, shall we join our other friends?" Rachel tried to lift the mood a bit.

Finn took a little bow and extended his elbow to her, indicating that she should take his arm. She complied, and they walked back into the party together, smiling.

…

After their emotional visit with their daughter, Puck dropped Quinn off at her house. She thanked him and gave him a kiss on the cheek in parting. Puck smiled. Although she was his ex-girlfriend (or baby mama, or something), she was also more than that. She was his ally and the only person who could understand this aspect of his life.

Puck was pretty sure that even though he and Quinn share this major bond, his feelings for her are from the past. He came to this conclusion because in the car ride back to Lima, all Puck could think about was getting back to Rachel. He was feeling like such a girl because he's so excited to _talk_ to her, to tell her all the details, and he knows she's eager to hear all the details. And after all that talking, if they've worked up an appetite for fooling around, well there was nothing wrong with that. He was a man after all. And what better way to counteract all of that girly emotional shit?

Puck knocked on Rachel's door, but didn't bother to wait for an answer before walking into her house.

"You're back!" Rachel jumped up to greet him, but stopped short. She almost ran to him and kissed him in front of everyone!

"Uh, yeah. Glad to see some of the gang's still here." He wasn't. "Uh, I was wondering if you had any more of that great food left, Berry."

"Yes, of course, follow me." Rachel felt like she was glowing. She was so happy Noah had come back to see her. Without Quinn. That had to mean something, right?

Finn and Kurt glanced curiously towards the kitchen. As Finn turned back to the movie, he caught Kurt's interested look in the direction of the kitchen too. They seemed to share a silent look that said something along the lines of "something weird might be going on here".

"I can't wait until we're alone," Rachel whispered.

"Yeah, I didn't expect to see you between Finn and Kurt on the couch at this hour. I figured everyone would be gone by now."

Rachel didn't miss the jealous tone from Noah at the mention of Finn. It made her a bit happy that he was here, and jealous of Finn for her. But it also triggered her to think about how much she wanted Noah and Finn to try to become friends again, so she'd need to work on smoothing things over between them in the near future.

"The movie will be over soon. Then I'm sure I can get them to leave. You should eat slowly, or eat a lot, so there will be a reason why you stay behind."

"Good thinkin', Berry." He smirked at her. She really was smart and could be devious when she wanted to be. He could probably turn her into an evil genius—she was halfway there with her elaborate plans and a bit of evil. Yeah, Rachel Berry would make a hot super-villain, and Puck would save that thought for later.

Rachel set up a tv tray from Crate and Barrel in front of a chair for Noah and turned on a table lamp so he didn't have to eat in the dark with only the light from the tv. (It was the classiest tv tray Puck had ever seen.) Puck nodded a greeting to Finn and Kurt, as well as to Rachel's dads, who were watching the movie on the sofa in the opposite corner of the room. He promptly began shoveling food into his mouth to avoid any awkward conversation.

Rachel casually sat down in the chair next to him rather than returning to her seat between Finn and Kurt.

Finn glanced her way, but Kurt made the move before him. Good, less obvious, thought Finn.

"Rachel, come back to your seat with me. Your shoulder makes a good headrest."

"Um, thanks? Sure, Kurt, I'll sit with you."

Finn didn't move to make more room for Rachel on the couch, so she was squished between Finn and Kurt. There was no way she could sit without touching them both. She blushed, but the room was dimly lit. Still, she imagined that both boys could feel the heat rolling off of her.

They could. And they each had different interpretations. Kurt's was closer to accurate, though he didn't really understand what was going on with Rachel and why she wanted to sit next to Puck instead of Finn, her supposed dream guy. Finn, however, thought that Rachel was feeling hot not from embarrassment or discomfort, but because she still liked him. She reacted to his closeness. He felt hopeful.

They all sat watching the final scenes of the movie, engaged in their own thoughts.

Once Kurt thought about it, he realized that Rachel hadn't really been fawning over Finn all day. Except for that lame re-entrance to the dining room arm-in-arm, Kurt couldn't recall Rachel paying extra attention to Finn. If anything, Finn had been fawning over her. Kurt involuntarily rolled his eyes at his own recollections. But Rachel hadn't paid much attention to Puck when he was there earlier in the day. Kurt wasn't sure if Rachel liked Puck or if she was just uncomfortable around Finn in front of Puck for some reason.

Finn was hoping that he'd get to stay after the movie ended so he could be alone with Rachel.

Puck was hoping Finn would move his _ass_ away from _his_ girl. The goon was taking up half the couch, and he was all pressed up against Rachel, who looked like the tiny cream filling of an Oreo or something. Kurt's head on Rachel's shoulder was also beyond weird. Puck was ready to be alone with Rachel, like an hour ago. He tried to focus on his food and the _Rent_ (yeah, he recognized it) so he wouldn't linger on the disturbing image of Rachel sandwiched between Finn and Kurt.

All Rachel wanted to do was talk to Noah, to find out how everything went, and to try to discern his feeling for Quinn. She can't wait for this stupid movie to end so she can kick everyone out. No, _Rent_, she didn't mean that you're a stupid movie. She loves you. She's just ready for Seasons of Love to hurry up and the timer to count down to 0 minutes.

Ah, finally!

"Well, now that the movie is over, we should probably call it a night!" said Rachel brightly, trying to find a way to kick Finn and Kurt out as politely as possible. Kurt stood up, but Finn just grabbed a throw pillow and seemed to make himself more comfortable on the couch. Why is Finn being so stubborn?

"Well, Puck's still eating, so I figured we'd just stay until he's finished," announced Finn. "If that's ok…" he added.

Puck looked up from his plate of food with interest. How was she going to pull this off?

Rachel's dads had returned from shopping a few hours ago and had been watching the movie with the remaining glee kids. They may have missed most of the party, but they were pretty observant. Rachel appeared to be trying to communicate with them telepathically with eye gestures. They'd seen Noah around several times for "tutoring" and "rehearsal". They had their suspicions, but could tell by Rachel's behavior now that if she likes Noah, no one else knows. They decided to play along.

"We'll kick Noah out after he finishes eating our food," said Mr. Berry.

Puck actually reddened a little in embarrassment. He hoped Rachel's dads weren't serious.

"Of course. Thank you for your hospitality," said Kurt. He nudged Finn.

Finn felt confused by the mixed signals. Wasn't Rachel into him again? Why is Puck staying while he and Kurt were leaving? Why does Kurt look like he knows something? Maybe Kurt will tell him once they're outside.

"Yeah, thanks a lot," said Finn. "Goodnight, Rachel."

"Goodnight, Finn, Kurt. It was lovely to have you over. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I'll see you Monday." And with that, Rachel closed the door.

Oh, crap. Finn didn't get to ask her if she wanted to do something together on Saturday. Maybe she's spending time with her dads…He'll message her tomorrow to check. Oh, crap. Kurt's getting away.

"Kurt, wait up!" Finn called as he jogged across the street to where Kurt was getting into his Navigator.

"Yes, Finn?"

"You had a look on your face earlier…like you knew something…Do you think there's something going on with Rachel?"

Kurt quickly decided that he's not ready to spill this dish to Finn until he has confirmation. He knew that the knowledge of suspicious activity between Puck and Rachel would probably cause Finn to break down a little, and as much as he had always wanted Finn to cry into his shoulder pads, he didn't want to hurt him over nothing. He had to accumulate more evidence against Puck and Rachel.

He looks so innocent and naïve, thought Kurt, but he is surprisingly perceptive. "Yes, I too sense that there may be something going on with Rachel. But I'm going to investigate further before I jump to conclusions. Rest assured, when I figure out what's going on with our little Miss Berry, you will be the first to know."

"Thanks, Kurt."

"Any time, Finn."

…

"Thanks, Daddy," said a relieved Rachel. "Noah just had a very emotional day, and he really wanted to talk to me about it in private, so I really appreciate that you helped me usher out the last of the guests."

"Of course, sweetie. But talk while you help clean up from the party. And no closing the door in your bedroom. Noah, you can stay until 11:30. After that, talking on the phone will have to suffice. We'll give you some privacy though, since the conversation seems personal."

"It is, Daddy, thank you," said Rachel. It was better than nothing.

"Yes, thank you, sir. Thank you both." Puck nodded to both of Rachel's dads.

As soon as her dads were safely upstairs, Puck pulled Rachel into his arms for a passionate kiss. It was clashing teeth at first because they were both so enthusiastic, wanting to devour each other. But it was also quiet to keep from alerting Rachel's dads to their make out session in the living room, so both made the effort not to moan or make any sudden moves that might cause them to topple onto the furniture, floor, or walls. Puck lifted Rachel up and she wrapped her legs around his waist automatically, undeterred by the fact that she was wearing a skirt. Their heat was incredible. Rachel pulled away a bit from the kiss, and Puck let her slide down his body so she was standing again.

"Well, I guess this means you're not ready to terminate our relationship," said Rachel in a breathless whisper. It was half joke, half inquiry, because all day she had been worried that Puck would decide that he should try in earnest to date Quinn again, and he would end their covert liaison.

"Are you kidding, Berry?" Puck smirked. "Why would I mess with a good thing?"

A small, but insistent part of Rachel was disheartened by his response. She _does_ want to change the relationship. This day with Finn trailing after her like a puppy while she worried about Noah's feelings for Quinn made Rachel realize that she wants to be Noah's secret _girlfriend _instead of secret friend (with benefits). She'd worry about how to end the secretive nature of the relationship later. The secret part had been her idea after all, and she still thought that it was for the best for everyone. She just wanted _more_. She wanted him to explicitly reject feelings for Quinn and romantically profess his desire to see only her. She knew she wanted everything too much and that such a dramatic display would be unrealistic. That didn't keep her from being a bit disappointed when she heard his response, even when she knew she shouldn't be.

But, she is Rachel Berry. She applied her 1000-kilowatt smile. "Yes, why change a good thing?" she said into her next kiss.

…

**A.N.** **Quick poll before the next chapter:** Do you want to know more about Puck and Quinn's visit with their baby, or should the story move on with the understanding that is was a pleasant, emotional visit? I was thinking of a scene in which Puck is telling Rachel some details, but I don't know if people really care about the details. If you have an opinion, please let me know. **Up next:** Rachel and Puck get closer; more songs for the Winter Concert, with Rachel and Puck getting solos/duets; Kurt picks up on some sparks; jealousy and snark will emerge from a variety of characters. [Thus, Rachel and Puck getting closer may or may not include Puck's description of his visit with his daughter with some details.] **Weigh in please! Thanks!**


	8. Maybe I'm Amazed

**A.N. **Thanks so much for the great reviews and responses to my poll! The majority vote: Skip baby visit details, but keep anything that's important to drive the story. So that's what I hope I did. If you're inclined, listen to _Maybe I'm Amazed_ by Paul McCartney for the glee rehearsal in this chapter. I tried a different style to indicate singers, resembling lines in a play. I hope you can imagine it if you're into the music aspect of these fics. (If not, skipping over it won't hurt.)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or any songs mentioned.**

…

**November, Junior Year**

Puck and Rachel breezed through cleaning up after Rachel's glee club party. It was easy since Puck was feeling particularly hyperactive and excited to give Rachel all of the details of his visit with his daughter. Even after they finish cleaning up, they decided to stay downstairs since Rachel's dads were upstairs.

Noah had been talking more than she'd ever heard. He'd been pacing and gesturing, and it was endearing really. Rachel had been completely engrossed in his retelling. Sometimes he'd describe details with a goofy grin, sometimes he'd look sad and wistful. Rachel could feel her heart swell with…_love_?

"This was such a great plan, Rach. The picture idea was really great. Quinn has more on her camera that she's going to send me." Noah continued excitedly, "She's just so beautiful!"

Rachel looked up at him quickly "Quinn?" she squeaked. She suddenly felt that nagging panic that she'd experienced when she first saw Noah and Quinn leave together earlier that day.

"Are you serious, Berry? You know what Quinn looks like, she's always beautiful. I mean _Dizzy_." Puck was too caught up in pulling out his phone and bringing up a picture that he didn't notice the devastated look on Rachel's face. It only lasted a few seconds because Rachel had the presence of mind to look down and study her pillows while she collected herself. Of course he had been talking about Dizzy. Rachel was just overly sensitive. And obviously he thought Quinn was beautiful. She is beautiful.

"See, here're some pictures we took on my phone. The pics from Quinn's camera will be better, I'm sure." Puck passed her the phone, eager for Rachel's reactions.

Rachel's eyes watered at the sight of a smiling Noah (a genuine Noah smile, not a Puck smirk), seated next to the always photogenic Quinn, who was holding the smiling baby girl they had created on her lap. Rachel was happy that he—that _they_ looked so happy, but she was sad for the same reason.

"Oh, Noah, you look so happy! And Dizzy is beautiful, of course." Rachel gushed sincerely.

"Yeah, of course, right? I'm a stud." There was that Puck smirk.

"You're an egomaniac," teased Rachel.

Puck felt like he was high (like Vitamin D high, not mellow high). He was so happy, which was a dramatic change from the depression he'd been in since Quinn had left him and they had given up Dizzy. And it was all because of Rachel and her brilliant idea. He really loved that girl!

Whoa! Hold up! That's idiotic, they're not even dating. So, what, now he _loves_ her? That thought was as crazy as…Rachel. Good thing he caught himself before he turned into a complete girl.

"You know, this was all because of you. You're really amazing Rachel…" Ok, that was still slightly girly, but crisis averted.

"Thanks, Noah. You're really amazing too." Rachel smiled. She meant it, even if she was feeling a little sad that she was probably losing him to Quinn (again).

Puck's girly emotional tolerance level had reached its maximum for the day. He had to reclaim some badass status. "Hey, it's 11. I can tell you the rest of the details on the phone. Wanna make out?"

"Sure!"

…

Not wanting to disobey her dads' orders, Puck made sure to cool things down with Rachel so he could leave by 11:30. She was clinging to him, like she didn't want to let him go. Like if he left he'd never come back. He wasn't sure what brought that on, but it was sexy to be wanted like that; and it made him think twice, or ten times, before he finally willed himself to leave.

"Hey," he tried to ease Rachel off slowly. "I'm going to call you right away… I'm calling you right now, see?" He called her. "We're going to talk all night until you hear every last detail of how well your evil plan worked." He gave her a devastatingly handsome grin, and Rachel couldn't help but relent and smile back.

They shared a last goodnight kiss, with their phones to their ears, and Rachel closed the door behind him. How could she be so elated and so sad at the same time? Rachel wondered if she'd ever get over her envy of Quinn for sharing this part of Noah's life. She tried to listen to every word Noah said about his visit, but she kept thinking about what this meant. On one hand, he came back to her, without Quinn, and he seemed so interested in being with only her. He was re-hashing all these details with her, not Quinn. All good signs. On the other hand, he gave her no indication that this was anything different from their friends with benefits arrangement. They were behaving exactly like friends with benefits, right? And being friends with someone doesn't prevent one from dating one's baby mama again. Rachel exhausted herself with her mental quandaries, and eventually fell asleep on the phone.

Puck hung up after he realized that Rachel fell asleep. He felt like she was a little quiet and distant, but maybe that was because it's the phone. They're much better together in person. Puck wasn't one to over-analyze like Rachel, so he happily closed his eyes and drifted off, images of his little girl filling his mind. It felt like just as he was falling asleep, he started dreaming. He was reliving the visit, except Quinn wasn't with him, he was alone. He could see Melanie Harris from the back, and she was holding the hand of a little girl, about 7 years old instead of 7 months old. They turned around and it wasn't Melanie…it was Rachel! And Dizzy looked just like a dark-haired Quinn! Rachel and Dizzy smiled at him. Puck woke up shivering because he had thrown off his blanket in his fitful sleep. _Shit_. What was that about? Puck was about to become an over-analyzer. Damn that Rachel Berry! It was like her brain was rubbing off on him.

Puck could hardly sleep that night, and he sent Rachel a text asking how soon he could come over for Saturday. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Rachel his dream (half of him really wanted to ask her to analyze it for him, the other half was _certain_ that would be a bad idea, although he wasn't sure _why_). What he did know for sure was that he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible before they had to return to school on Monday. He was thankful when he got her reply at 8am, saying that her day was free and he could come over any time after 10am. "Don't eat a big breakfast. We'll have brunch at my house. Bring your books, for my dads' benefit," she had said.

…

Rachel's dads had gone for another holiday shopping trip Saturday, so she and Noah had the house to themselves for a while. She made him bring his books so that she could claim they had been studying if her dads came home while she and Noah were in her room. She had prepared brunch, as she promised. Maybe she could charm him with her domestic skills? She knew that he and Quinn had sex, and probably more than just the one time to make Dizzy. But Rachel wasn't ready for that yet. She just had an overwhelming desire for Noah to want to be with her and her only. And if that didn't work, she'd have to work on getting her own mind back into the friendship mode without the jealousy.

Over the waffles with whipped cream and strawberries, Puck was getting horny. Well, to be honest, he had arrived at her house a bit horny, which had been heightened when he learned her dads were gone. (How awesome was it that those two seem to leave Rachel home alone _a lot_?!) But watching Rachel eat strawberries and whipped cream…

"C'mon, Berry, you're killing me here!" He grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder, snatched the can of whipped cream in one hand, and carried her up the stairs.

"Noah Puckerman! What on Earth are you doing?!"

"You had to know this was coming."

"I most certainly did not!" But maybe she had hoped it was coming!

"Well, get ready. I'm going to teach you appropriate uses for whipped cream."

…

Ok, maybe they didn't have sex, but Puck was satisfied. That only seemed to happen for him when he was with Rachel. He had never waited around for a girl before because his need for sex had been too strong. But with Rachel…it's like his need _for her_ was too strong for him to ruin it by pushing her for sex (or by having sex with someone else, since he was 95% sure that she wouldn't think twice about ending their relationship if she learned he'd been with someone else). Now if only he could finally have sex with her, then this whole arrangement would be… pure awesome.

"Noah?" Rachel whispered in his ear. "I think you should hop in my shower now. We're both so…sticky."

"Is that so? Care to join me?"

She smiled at his smirk, but declined. "I really need to clean up the kitchen in case my dads come home. You should take a quick shower so that I can take one after you. I'm really not sure when they're coming back"

Puck was a little concerned about being caught by her dads, so he complied with Rachel's request. It's not that he was _scared_ of her dads, he just knew that as soon as they got caught doing anything suspicious, her dads would stop letting him come over all the time.

After the kitchen, Puck, and Rachel were all freshly cleaned, Puck and Rachel had all day Saturday to hang out together. It was convenient that Puck brought his books since Rachel really was the best at helping him with his homework and rewarding him for good behavior. In spite of herself, Rachel was enjoying this friendly manner they shared; she thought that maybe having a little bit of Noah Puckerman in her life was better than not having him at all, so she decided not to push him to take their relationship any farther romantically.

It was mid-afternoon when she got a message from Finn asking her if she wanted to hang out. She typed a reply that she had plans, but that they should try another time. She promised to consult her schedule and get back to him soon.

"So, Noah, I'd like your input on this," Rachel said, pulling out her color-coded schedule that indicated her time with Puck. "Finn would like to spend some time with me, and so I'm trying to figure out a good time…"

He grunted but made no effort to tell her when she should schedule her _Finn_ time. How 'bout never?

"Well, I'm afraid the best time would be tomorrow. I could see Finn instead of joining you to babysit your sister. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, whatever."

Rachel took out a green marker and color-coded her plans with Finn. Puck was a little pissed that Rachel added time with Finn to _their_ schedule. But the cool thing is that she always updates the digital copy and sends it to him, so he'll always know when she's with Finn. Well, that's a good thing and a bad thing. He'd rather she didn't spend any time at all with Finn. Since the two have practically the same schedules (football, glee, and so on), _Finn_ time eats into _Puck_ time.

"Great! I'll let Finn know," said Rachel brightly. She wasn't trying to make Noah jealous by spending time with Finn. She really did want to be Finn's friend, and she really thought that maybe, somehow, she could bring Noah and Finn back together. But she would probably have to slow down her plans to move her relationship with Noah into the public realm. Even just the friendship part (which was all she was planning to make public any time soon) would probably make negative progress with Finn. He was still so sensitive that he couldn't stand to see Noah and Quinn together, and Finn seemed to think of Rachel as his ally. Which she was.

"Can I ask you a question, Noah?" She didn't wait for his reply since there was a good chance he wouldn't deign to grace her with one anyway. "Do you want to be friends with Finn again?" Renewing their friendship had been a big part of her plan that she hadn't figured out how to accomplish.

Maybe that should have been an easy question for Puck, but it really wasn't. At least not at the moment. They had been best friends, but Puck had been jealous of Finn for a lot of things and for a long time. And currently he was jealous of Finn for spending Sunday with Rachel. For the talking part of a friendship, he had Rachel. And Quinn for certain things, like their daughter. He'd become such a girl lately with all the talking and feelings that Finn probably wouldn't know what to think. For the sports and video games part of a friendship, well, he could probably hang out with Mike and Matt, although he hadn't been. He hadn't been hanging out with anyone really besides Rachel.

"I don't know, Berry. I probably would, but I don't think things will ever be the same. I don't know if he can ever forgive me, and I'm not sure that I want him to. I was a dick. But then if he never forgives me, it makes it kind of hard to be friends."

"But don't you need a friend, a guy friend?"

"Over-rated."

Rachel pondered his answer. "I guess you're right. I don't have any real girl friends either." Suddenly she smiled. "We really are best friends!"

He didn't deny it. "Just don't expect me to go all girl on you, Berry."

"You mean you don't want to braid my hair and pick out my clothes?" She bounced up and down beside him on the bed.

"No. But I _will_ take _off_ your clothes."

"Noah!" Rachel squealed as he tackled her.

…

Saturday was over too soon for Puck. Sunday was just going to be him babysitting his sister and waiting for Rachel to finish her _Finn time_. Ugh! When did he get so lame?

Meanwhile, Rachel was getting ready for her friend date with Finn. She wanted to look nice, but she didn't want to send the wrong message. Of course, Finn liked her wholesome look, so maybe she should slut it up if she wanted to be unappealing to him. As much as she wanted to emphasize that she and Finn were going to stay "just friends," she had been so embarrassed by her Kurt-induced makeover debacle with Finn last year that she had to stay away from any reminders of that trauma. She settled on a tunic sweater, skinny jeans, and boots. It was winter after all.

Finn waited for Rachel in the foyer with her dads. Finn didn't know what to say to the two men. And they didn't know what to say to him. Rachel's dads were pleased that she seemed to develop a richer social life through the glee club, but they were a bit concerned about all of the male attention and lack of girlfriends. Rachel had assured her dads that she was only friends with both boys, but the men had agreed that Rachel seemed to have lost romantic interest in Finn Hudson and had been developing it toward Noah Puckerman. They weren't sure if either boy knew it.

Finn was happy to depart the Berry house with Rachel by his side. He made sure to open the passenger door of his car for her.

"Thank you, Finn. You're always such a gentleman. But you don't have to do that, especially since we're just friends."

"Oh, yeah. I guess it's just a habit," Finn gave an apologetic smile that still managed to be charming. He was proud that he managed not to wince at the words "just friends".

"So where are we going?" They hadn't made specific plans, but Finn was clearly driving to a destination.

"I thought we'd go bowling," said Finn.

Rachel wondered if he was oblivious to the fact that this was the last place she'd want to go with him, considering it was the site of their deceptive date. Did he want to recreate that kiss she'd impulsively given him?

"Finn, you do realize this isn't the ideal place for us to go on our friend date, don't you?"

"Friend date? Is that a real thing?"

"Yes it is. Now answer the question, please." Rachel was irritated but curious to learn Finn's motives, if he had any. Did he just _really_ like bowling?

"I'm sorry, Rachel. This is just a place that has good memories for me, of us. We had a really good time here I thought." They had arrived at the bowling alley, and Finn turned the key in the ignition, but left the heat running so they could finish their conversation and decide if they were leaving.

"But you tricked me into coming here with you while you were with Quinn! The memory is tainted!" Rachel opened the car door and stamped to Finn's side. He got out of the car and joined her in the parking lot.

"I didn't think of it that way. You know, most of my happy memories are with you, Rachel. I've been trying not to think about Quinn at all, so I guess my brain kinda left that part out of my memory."

"Oh," said Rachel softly. "I think I can understand that… Do you think that the reason it's hard for you to think about Quinn is because you still have feelings for her?"

"Maybe." Before Finn knew what he was saying, the word left his mouth. Did he really feel that way? Why was Rachel nodding like that? Was she happy he might like Quinn? It sure looks that way.

"I thought so! Finn this is such good news! This means there's hope we can all get back to normal in glee club!"

"Uh, I'm not sure if I really do like Quinn again." He placed his hands on Rachel's shoulders to halt her adorable but crazy bouncing. "I mean what she did…just sucks." Finn was confused about his mixture of feelings for Quinn and Rachel. And he was confused by Rachel's reaction. It was very unlike her, at least compared to last year. So far this year he hadn't really spent that much time with her, so maybe he's not a good judge of what is "like her".

"I agree, Finn. Quinn made very poor choices. But I understand that she didn't want to lose you because of her mistake. She did a terrible thing. Well, a few terrible things. But maybe one day you'll forgive her. And Puck." Oh, Rachel regretted mentioning Noah based on the flash of darkness that crossed Finn's face.

"Yeah, maybe," Finn muttered. Rachel made a mental note to take baby steps when she finally tried to make her friendship with Noah public. Very tiny baby steps.

"Well, let's see if my bowling has improved since last year, shall we?" asked Rachel with just a touch of false excitement.

"Sure," Finn smiled. They finished a rather pleasant but uneventful day. Finn didn't try to kiss Rachel goodbye or do anything that could be considered crossing the friendship line. Finn had mixed feelings about the "friend date", although he didn't share his thoughts. Rachel felt like it was a success.

Puck was happy when she called him and asked if he wanted to come over for dinner. It was just a casual dinner with her and her dads, but it wasn't too bad. Not too awkward, surprisingly. During dinner, Rachel told Puck that after talking to Finn, she thought that he needs to extend an olive branch and see if Finn takes it. Rachel only told her dads that Noah and Finn were best friends but they had "a falling out of a personal nature". They all thought of ways Noah could make a nice gesture to Finn. It made Puck's head hurt. He'd tried stuff like this before, although he never called it giving Finn an "olive branch". But he graciously listened to Rachel and her two dads suggest various tactics. It sucked that the Thanksgiving holiday weekend was almost over and he'd have to go back to his school routine starting Monday.

…

"Welcome back! I hope everyone had a good break! I have some good news about the Winter Concert!" announced Mr. Schue at glee. "We've decided to add some combined numbers with all the choirs, bands, and orchestra! So we're going to have these really great songs with fantastic accompaniment." Will was excited. He had the perfect duets selected and the perfect dance numbers prepared.

"For the end of the first act, New Directions is going to perform a great arrangement of _Maybe I'm Amazed_ by Paul McCartney. Again, it's not a Christmas song, but I think it's going to be outstanding."

"It sounds like a terrific choice, Mr. Schue," said Artie.

"Totally," affirmed Puck. He offered his hand in a high-five to Artie.

"I'm going to try to get used to that," Artie said as he returned the hand slap.

"The second song," Will continued, "is a holiday favorite, _Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow_!" Brittany perked up, finally, a Christmas song she knew!

"It's going to be a swing version that's going to close the show. So we're all going to be learning to swing dance!"

Puck was not excited by this prospect. He already knew who his partner would be, and it wouldn't be Rachel. If he'd been paired with Rachel, it would have been easy to feel up her tight little body as part of the dance moves. Mr. Schue always paired Rachel with Kurt for anything with lifts because Rachel's tiny and so's Kurt. Puck, on the other hand, was the strongest dude in the club. Sometimes it sucked to be a stud.

"I was really pleased with the way Rachel's voice worked with Puck's, so you two are going to be the main leads for _Maybe I'm Amazed_. When we listen to Paul McCartney sing it, you'll hear where his voice gets especially rough. Those parts seemed perfect for your voice, Puck. Kurt, we're going to feature you on some high notes. Artie, you've got a great range, so you're getting some lows and highs. Tina, Quinn, you'll both have a few features. Mercedes, we need you to diva out at the end." Mercedes rolled her eyes at Mr. Schue's attempt to be cool, but she appreciated the solo. "Thanks, Mr. Schue, I promise to rock it."

Kurt was excited to be featured for his skills in a song that fit his gender. His dad would be proud, not embarrassed. Sure, Paul McCartney wasn't Springsteen or Mellencamp (Kurt's face involuntarily soured at the thought of his dad's favorites), but his dad was into The Beatles too.

Finn didn't even have the heart to jump in and ask why he wasn't picked to sing a solo or duet with Rachel. It seemed like he never got to sing with her anymore. For his duet in their other song for the Winter Concert, Mr. Schue had gone evil and paired him with Quinn. Maybe he would say something if Mr. Schue didn't give him a solo for the finale song.

"Wait, Mr. Schue?" Puck spoke up. "Do you think we could try it with Finn singing some of these verses? It seems like a lot for just me." Puck had noticed Finn's disappointment at not getting a solo. Maybe this could be his olive tree or whatever Rachel had said he should give to Finn.

"Oh, well, it's kind of last-minute for me to re-do the arrangement. Uh, let me take a quick look." Will glanced through the music and made some notes on his copy, Artie's copy, Puck's copy, and Finn's copy. "There. We'll try this."

Puck looked at his sheet. It didn't look like much changed. Oh, Schue gave Finn the opening verses and some "oooos". Whatever, he tried, dude. Puck looked at Finn and shrugged, but Finn was happily reading his sheet music. That's when Puck realized Schue had given Finn a duet with Rachel. Oh well, he still had like four duets with Rachel in this song.

Will walked the kids through the first simple choreography steps while listening to the Paul McCartney version about five times. "Don't worry, we'll start with these simple steps, then we'll work in some more complicated spins and things. I won't start torturing you with swing lessons until next time!" Mr. Schue waggled his eyebrows like a crazy man.

"All right! Let's go through the vocals for _Maybe I'm Amazed_ and try the steps from the top!"

Brad nodded and began to play the piano.

Rachel:_ Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time  
_Finn:_ Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you _

Finn:_ Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time, and hung me on a line  
_Rachel and Finn:_ Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you _

Finn and Rachel clasped hands.  
At the swell of the music, Puck turned Rachel towards him and Finn and Puck exchanged glares. It was mostly part of the act Mr. Schue had come up with when he gave Finn the opening verses. Mostly.

Puck:_ Baby I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man who's in the middle of something  
_Rachel and Puck: _That he doesn't really understand _

Puck and Rachel reached towards each other.

Puck:_ Baby I'm a man and maybe you're the only woman who could ever help me  
_Rachel and Puck: _Baby won't you help me understand?_ Puck and Rachel clasped hands, and then Rachel spins between Finn and Puck before facing Puck again.

Puck:_ Baby I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man who's in the middle of something  
_Rachel and Puck: _That he doesn't really understand _

Puck and Rachel reached towards each other, not quite touching.

_  
_Puck:_ Baby I'm a man and maybe you're the only woman who could ever help me  
_Rachel and Puck: _Baby won't you help me understand? _Puck and Rachel clasped hands, and then moved back as the next soloists moved forward and Finn and Kurt sang some "Oohs" and "Ooos".

Finn: _Maybe I'm amazed at the way you're with me all the time  
_Quinn: _Maybe I'm afraid of the way I leave you _

Finn wouldn't look at Quinn directly. That was not part of the act.

_  
_Artie: _Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song  
_Tina: _Right me when I'm wrong  
_And all of the soloists joined together and faced their partners:

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you  
_

The closing was a rousing combination of all of the singers, with Mercedes especially featured to belt out some runs, and Artie, Finn, and Kurt to wail out some great "Ooos"._  
Oh maybe I'm amazed.  
Maybe I'm amazed.  
Yeah, yeah yeah.  
Yeah, Maybe I'm amazed.  
I'm amazed, with you.  
Oo-oo. Oo-oo. _

…

From his vantage point singing backup during the duets, Kurt could detect the sparks between Rachel and Puck. While Rachel was her usual sappy self while singing with Finn, she seemed positively drawn to Puck. Sure, there was a strange dynamic in the whole glee club after Baby-gate, but it seemed clear that Rachel was no longer crushing on the oh-so-crushworthy Finn. Might she have a thing for the broody and brawny Puck? Kurt hadn't forgotten his pledge to Finn to check out the situation, but he had gotten distracted over the weekend. His crush from show choir camp was becoming more than a crush since there was actual correspondence involved, so he'd spent the weekend chatting online with the boy he hoped would be his first boyfriend. Besides, it was the first day back to school, so it was really Kurt's first opportunity to check out the Rachel-Puck vibes. And boy, were there vibes! Kurt decided he _would_ go all Veronica Mars and investigate further before reporting his suspicions to Mercedes and Tina and deciding what to tell Finn. He _had_ told Finn that he would be the first to know if there was something going on with Rachel. But upon reflection, Kurt couldn't decide if Finn finding out that Rachel liked Puck would result in a miniature disaster or a minor catastrophe.

…

**A.N. **Coming up: Kurt investigates to confirm his suspicions; a winter dance brings jealousy and drama; and the glee club learns to swing. For those in the minority who liked the idea of some baby visit details to help character and relationship development, I plan to reveal some effects of the visit on "the big four characters" through some interactions in Chapter 9. Fanfiction will be my outlet during the super-long Glee hiatus, though this story surely won't last the whole time! I've been avoiding "mature" scenes, but we'll see what happens with the characters and my writing (first fic, remember). If you have preferences, things you'd like to see more or less of, let me know! I try to adapt the writing to your feedback. Thanks!


	9. Shall We Dance?

**A.N.** Yea Glee—kicking butt with all the Golden Globe nominations! I'm posting this chapter early to celebrate, and I hope I didn't leave many mistakes. Reviewers inspired references to Quinn's point of view and Finn's point of view (with a glimpse into what he did over the summer, but if you blink you'll miss it—sorry I couldn't manage more). I refer to a Nine Inch Nails song called "The Perfect Drug". If you skip to the end of the song, you'll hear the melody Puck plays on the piano. Worth hearing if you've never heard it, but certainly not essential. (I don't think that the Rock Band game version has the piano part, but I don't have that game). If you find the song with the original music video, be warned that it's creepy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee, Veronica Mars, songs mentioned, or anything else in the story.

…

**December, Junior Year **

Kurt was in full investigation mode. He was well prepared. _Veronica Mars_ marathon, check. Spy pen with mini camera inspired by said marathon, check. Fabulous fedora hat and trench coat to put him in the detective mood, check and check. Kurt was already known for daring fashion choices, and it was winter, so his attire didn't raise many eyebrows. Step 1 on Kurt's list was to talk to Rachel directly. It was the easiest place to start. She might actually tell him something since they were pretty good friends. And if she was evasive, he'd pick up on that too. No matter what happened, he'd gain information.

It was strange, Kurt only just realized that Rachel hadn't been as clingy as he thought she would be after show choir camp. They had been practically connected at the hip over the summer. But no one else from McKinley had been there. Kurt had other friends at school, but he knew Rachel didn't have many (any). He wondered why he didn't notice before that she seemed to have a completely full schedule and never even tried to invite herself to hang out with him and the gang. Kurt felt a little guilty for not noticing and not inviting her. He figured that it was so similar to her behavior at school last year that he had overlooked it. But one thing he _had_ noticed that was different from last year was that Rachel didn't seem to hang all over Finn anymore. A realization dawned on Kurt. Kurt had been slowly moving on from his crush on Finn so that now he mostly felt a sense of friendship. He wanted to focus on an attainable goal (Alex from show choir camp). Perhaps that's exactly what is going on with Rachel! So Kurt decided that after he completed Step 1, Step 2 would be to investigate whether Noah Puckerman was an "attainable goal" for Rachel Berry.

Kurt cornered her after glee rehearsal, after everyone was exhausted from Mr. Schue drilling the Lindy Hop into their repertoire for their swing dance number.

"Hey, Miss Berry, before you rush off, may I have a word?"

"Oh! Sure, Kurt. What can I do for you?" Rachel was surprised, but she was anxious to get home so she could have a quick shower before Noah came over. She was really sweaty from dance rehearsal, and she didn't think it was the sexy kind of sweaty. Last year she wouldn't have thought there could even be such a thing as sexy sweaty, but this year she knew better. She pushed an image of a certain sweaty football player to the back of her mind.

"Do you wanna hang out, go to the mall, have a gossip session?"

"I'm sorry, Kurt, do you mean now? Because I really have to get home." Rachel started tapping her foot anxiously. She had a football player to see.

"Oh, what are your plans? Can I join you?" Kurt could tell Rachel was anxious, and he kind of enjoyed her squirming.

"No. I mean, I'm sorry, but no." What was going on with Kurt? He'd been mostly ignoring her all semester, and he picks now to try to bond?

"Why, Miss Berry, do you have a date?! Are you seeing someone? Do tell!" There! The big question Kurt wanted Rachel to answer. He waited to see if she would confide in him.

"No! No, I don't have a date. No, I'm not seeing anyone. I just need to get home and shower because I have dinner plans with my dads." Rachel was embarrassed and nervous, but she thought her excuse sounded plausible. It was partly true anyway.

"Oh, ok. Sorry to delay you," Kurt sounded disinterested. "We'll talk later, k?"

"Yes. I'll see you later, Kurt!" Rachel scurried off.

Kurt pulled out his notebook and pen. He wrote next to Step 1: "Rachel flustered when questioned, but had credible excuse. Will commence Step 1 part A: surveillance". Kurt headed to his car. He followed Rachel as subtly as he could, considering he was driving a pimped out Navigator. He stopped several houses away from the Berry house, and he watched Rachel race into the house without throwing a glance his way. He pulled out his notebook. "Rachel's destination was her home. Waiting to determine if she leaves soon with her dads or alone."

After an hour, Kurt was just about to give up on his stakeout. It was too dark to do homework in the car without turning on the light and giving away his position, he'd played enough games on his cell to be bored to tears, and he was starving for dinner. As he turned on the engine, he saw it. Puck's truck pulling into Rachel's driveway. Jackpot! He turned off his car and the headlights. Hopefully that didn't draw Puck's attention.

It didn't.

Kurt watched with eager anticipation as Puck walked up Rachel's driveway and knocked on the door. Kurt almost pulled out the spy pen but he realized that dinky little camera wouldn't have a good range, especially in the dark. He watched as Rachel answered the door. Would they kiss? They were such a peculiar pair. Sure, Kurt knew that they had dated for a nanosecond last year, which was mind-blowing in itself. But everyone also knew that Rachel had spilled the news to Finn about Puck being the real baby daddy when she _had_ to have known the consequences it would have caused for Puck (and everyone else).

Damn. Rachel opened the door and Puck walked in, no kiss to be seen. Still, this was an interesting development, and Kurt was practically shaking with excitement. It was hard enough to believe that Rachel and Puck hooked up last year. But it was nearly impossible to believe that they could even be _friends_ this year after what Rachel did. Wasn't Puck still brooding over Quinn? What could he possibly be doing with Rachel? It was one thing to think that Rachel had a crush on Puck. She was kind of fickle and that boy looked like sex on a stick (Kurt had to admit). But to see Puck arrive at Rachel's house?! That could mean that Rachel might have good reason to think that Puck was an attainable goal. He really wanted to call Mercedes with this piece of news, but he knew that girl couldn't keep a secret, like at all. Kurt wanted to proceed with Step 2 before consulting with Mercedes or Tina about whether or not he should tell Finn what he'd learned.

…

Puck had arrived at Rachel's for their scheduled dinner "date" while her dads were at a coffee house listening to lame poetry or something. Puck couldn't remember, but it was a regular thing, and he was happy for their absence. Tonight though, he could tell that Rachel had something on her mind. She must want something from him because she had dressed especially hot.

"Out with it, Berry. I can tell you're dying to say something."

He knew her too well. Rachel took a deep breath. "You know the Winter Dance is coming up…" Of course he did, she cursed herself, it happened every year. "I was thinking maybe we should go together as friends." She paused. Noah looked shocked. Was it really that surprising that she'd want to go to the dance with him?

"Uh, I wasn't really planning on going." It was true. He wasn't.

Rachel wasn't deterred yet. "I think it could ease everyone into the idea of the two of us as friends. It would show group unity."

"I really think that would be a bad idea." Puck was worried about the consequences of outing their relationship in such a public way. It was one thing to stop insulting her in glee club, which he had done. It was another step to start acting friendly toward her in glee club, which he hadn't really done except when they were singing. It was like skipping _ten_ steps to go to a dance together! Surely she knew that!

"You're right," Rachel said sadly. "You're right," she said with more conviction.

"_Yeah_, I am. We don't have to go to a stupid dance. Maybe we should go out somewhere that night instead, since all of McKinley will be at the dance." That sounded way better to Puck than getting dressed in suit and dancing around. He did enough dancing in glee. Although…

"Although the idea of you getting all dressed up is really hot…" He thought it was best to express that thought out loud.

He was right. Rachel promptly launched herself on top of him, proving just how hot she was even without a fancy dress.

…

Logically, Rachel knew that Noah was right. It would be too large a leap to go to the dance together, even as friends. Although she was sure she could have come up with a way to spin it and make it seem believable and innocent that they would go together. Emotionally, Rachel was disappointed that her advance had been so quickly rejected. So disappointed that when Finn asked her to the dance, she accepted before realizing that it would mean canceling the pseudo-date that Noah had mentioned in place of the dance. She felt bad about that. Sort of. She sent Noah a text, even though it deserved a phone call at least. Her feelings had been hurt, and though it pained her to admit it to herself, she was hoping that she'd make him jealous by going to the dance with Finn. She knew she was a terrible person, but Noah made her crazier than usual sometimes.

When Puck got Rachel's text, he was pissed. So pissed that he knew just what to do to get back at Rachel. He didn't really think about how it made him a bad person to be jealous and to want to make Rachel jealous (and keep an eye on her and Finn at the dance). All he thought about was what he needed to do next.

Puck whirled around when he felt someone tapping at his shoulder. "What?!" he said sharply, almost shouting.

"Whoa, cool your jets, Puck!" said Kurt. "Where are you stalking off to with such purpose?"

"Mind your own business." Puck had no time for this.

"On your way to ask Miss Berry to the dance?" There, Kurt had posed a question for Step 2. He needed to detect if Puck could possibly have romantic feelings for Rachel.

"Hell no. In fact, I'm on my way to ask Quinn." Puck rushed off, leaving Kurt gaping after him. How could Kurt have been so wrong? Puck just seemed furious at the idea that he would ask Rachel out—which is actually what Kurt would have expected had he not seen Puck at Rachel's house last night. That was the only piece of the puzzle that didn't fit. Kurt reviewed his observations mentally. Rachel and Puck had _major_ vibes during their duets lately. Rachel seemed inordinately happy to see Puck at her glee party and overly determined to kick Kurt and Finn out of her house. _Finn_! These all support the theory that Rachel may like Puck instead of Finn. But Puck's behavior just now did not support the theory that he liked Rachel in return.

Kurt decided to tell Finn that he had nothing to worry about. If Puck didn't have a thing for Rachel, then it didn't matter. Finn wouldn't have a competitor (because it was still Rachel Berry he's talking about here). So Finn could try to woo her to his heart's content, and he'd probably be victorious once Rachel came to her senses. Kurt was pleased with himself for his deductive skills.

…

Puck caught up with Quinn in the hall. "Hey, I heard Finn asked Berry to the dance." No need to beat around the bush.

"Oh, where'd you hear that?" Quinn tried to sound nonchalant .

"You know, around." No need to tell her he'd heard it directly from Rachel. "Whatever, you can wait to confirm it. Then let me know if you wanna go with me."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Ever the romantic, Puck," she said sarcastically. Then her eyes clouded sadly and she spoke sincerely. "But I believe you. Yes, I would like to go to the dance with you."

"Great. We'll work out the details later." And with that, Puck turned abruptly and headed to class.

Quinn stared after him for a few moments. The mood swings on this boy gave her whiplash! He had been so sweet less than a week ago, and now he was gruffly asking her to the dance and running off like he was mad at her for accepting the invitation. While sitting in her nap-inspiring history class, Quinn thought about last week's visit with their daughter. She could tell that Puck had been maturing. They had both had to mature a lot. Quinn was still skeptical that this idea to visit their daughter was his alone, but he was so into it and happy that she could almost believe it _was_ his idea. At first he had seemed so nervous around Dizzy, but as the visit progressed, he had loosened up and started playing with her with such joy in his eyes. Quinn could tell that he would make a loving, doting father. One day. Even though her heartstrings had felt a tug of sadness when Puck had dropped her off at her parents' house after the visit, she knew she wasn't swooning in love with Puck. She certainly felt something for Puck, probably even a form of love. But she knew deep down that he wasn't the right guy for her. Today just reinforced that. Puck was too unpredictable. She needed the security she'd felt with Finn.

…

Puck didn't go to Rachel's house that night as scheduled. That's how they both knew that they were definitely in a fight. Rachel was upset with Noah, but she had hoped he would come over so they could talk about it. Puck had almost gone to Rachel's house so he could yell at her, but he decided that would be a bad idea, since when he was this mad, it was hard to control. It hadn't been that long since he had really yelled at her like an ass when she had done something that required her to apologize. He decided that he should wait for her to come to him, which he hoped would happen soon, but after he had calmed down from her brush off of their date to go out with Finn.

In place of their scheduled time together they both sat in their rooms listening to depressing songs, although their songs of choice were vastly different. Rachel had gone through a selection of Broadway standards, followed by pop, when a song that she had taken from her dads' collection caught her eye. "How to Fight Loneliness" by Wilco seemed like it might be helpful. It was a depressing song, but it gave her some specific things to do like "laugh at every joke" and "just smile all the time". While she knew it wouldn't make her feel that much better, she planned to smile a lot in glee the next day. She realized that Noah was mad at her for going to the dance with Finn, and that was good in a way, since it showed he cared, right? She had hated when he had yelled at her when she'd upset him over making presumptions about Thanksgiving break—it was a terrible feeling. So she made up her mind to give Noah some time to calm down before she tried to explain her perspective to him, and yes, apologize. But she was still going to that dance, and feeling bad about Noah Puckerman was not going to stop her!

Puck listened to songs that he was sure Rachel would find "distasteful" or some shit. He headed downstairs and was about to go to 7-11 to buy some dip. Yeah, he'd quit smoking and chewing tobacco almost a year ago because of the baby (and because Quinn wouldn't stop bugging him about how gross it was). But now he felt like he really needed something to take the edge off of his nerves. The last notes of one of the songs he'd listened to were stuck in his head. Their old piano was calling to him, and before he knew what he was doing, he took a seat and plunked out the melody instead of leaving for his tobacco run. Though at age 13 he had announced that he was a man and no longer had to be shackled by his mom's wishes for him to take piano lessons, he still occasionally played a few notes to help him compose songs, so he knew what he was doing.

Mrs. Puckerman entered the house and heard the haunting melody. Was that coming from her son? Then she heard him singing softly, and the sound broke her heart.

_Without you, without you everything falls apart  
Without you, it's not as much fun to pick up the pieces_

"Honey, that was beautiful. It sounds so sad. Did you write that?"

"No, mom. It's Nine Inch Nails."

Mrs. Puckerman correctly assumed that was the name of an artist. "You're not usually home now, what changed?"

"Oh, I usually have a study group, but it got canceled," he lied. She seemed to buy it.

She did. But that didn't explain why her son was playing such a sorrowful tune on the piano he barely glanced at normally. "Noah, do you want to talk about something, about why you're playing such a sad song?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just something I was thinking about introducing for glee club," he lied again. "But you're right; it's too sad and lame." Puck got up from the piano to head to his room, but he turned to his mom.

"You're not working this weekend, right?" His mother nodded. "Good," he continued. "I'm taking Quinn to the Winter Dance, so I wanted to make sure you won't need me to babysit that night."

Mrs. Puckerman couldn't conceal her surprise. "Are you and Quinn together again, Noah?"

"No. " When his mom appeared skeptical, he added, "we're going as friends because Quinn likes Finn, but he asked someone else."

That seemed like a true teenager situation to Mrs. Puckerman, so she left it at that.

Puck was pulling himself out of his funk. He didn't need to listen to depressing crap. He knew that Rachel would take one look at him at the dance and forget that Finn Hudson even _exists_. And then she'd apologize, and they'd be back to making out in no time.

…

At the next glee rehearsal, Mr. Schue was calling out the proper swing steps "Rock step right!" and Kurt was dancing with Rachel—trying to dance around the subject of Rachel's feelings towards Puck and Finn. Luckily, this was a dance only rehearsal while they were learning the finer techniques of the steps, holds, turns, and lifts; leaving Kurt free to whisper questions to Rachel. Rachel would occasionally choose to answer his questions through gritted teeth and her fake smile.

Her answers mostly consisted of denials. She threw in a laugh every now and then that made no sense to Kurt. But Kurt was ever vigilant, and through the spins he noticed both Puck and Finn glimpsing at his exchanges with Rachel. Interesting, but ultimately inconclusive. Kurt switched tactics. He made plans to meet Rachel before the Winter Dance so they could get ready together—after he swore that he wouldn't give her a makeover. He'd try to interrogate her more then. Not really for Finn anymore, just to satisfy his own curiosity.

…

Finn was so glad that he would be going to the dance with Rachel, even if she kept saying they were just friends. She always made him feel appreciated, like he was the best thing since sliced bread. Quinn had made him feel that way for awhile, but she had gotten bossy and mean, which had been 1,000 times worse when she had gotten pregnant and had started insulting him about his intelligence and lack of ability to provide for their daughter. _Their daughter_. What a joke! Except it wasn't funny. At all.

The thing is, he still seemed to have a soft spot in his heart for the baby, even though she wasn't his. How many hours had he wasted, singing to that damn sonogram even after he _knew_? He almost deleted the email he had gotten from Quinn, but the subject line said "Pics of Dizzy, don't delete". Finn was curious. The timing was pretty weird, since Quinn emailed him like same day he had asked Rachel to the Winter Dance. There were several pictures of Dizzy playing and one picture of Dizzy with Quinn. His eyes started to water at the sight. It was cool that Quinn called her Dizzy since it was so close to the perfect baby name, Drizzle. He couldn't help but think that there should have been a baby that looked like Quinn and Finn, not Quinn and Puck. Not true, he cursed himself, he would have needed to have _sex_ for that. But Finn knew he wasn't ready to be a dad anyway. The idea of a little girl that was _actually his_ growing up without him was terrifying, so he was lucky that it wasn't real for him. He felt a little sorry for Quinn (and Puck). A little. Finn checked the file dates and saw that the pictures were taken on the day after Thanksgiving. That's where Quinn was when she left Rachel's early. Probably with Puck too, he thought darkly. Finn almost deleted the picture of Quinn and Dizzy, but he just…couldn't.

…

**Winter Dance (Part 1), Junior Year **

Sure, it wasn't the perfect situation, but here she was, a hot mama (!) with a hot guy on her arm. In Quinn's ideal world, this would have been Homecoming, she'd be with Finn, and they'd be crowned King and Queen—or at least a prince and princess so they'd get to be King and Queen as seniors. She had cheered at the Homecoming game back in October, but she'd skipped the dance. It was too much to bear too soon.

Quinn was partial to white, but she feared that she'd get virginity jokes (no one would dare in person, but there'd be comments on the blog Jacob was sure to post), so she went for a gold metallic dress. It was festive, and it would show everyone that she wasn't afraid to stand out. Plus it complemented her coloring perfectly. So many girls were wearing black, red, or green dresses. A few were in white or silver. Quinn was the only one wearing gold as far as she could tell.

Then in walked Rachel Berry, wearing a metallic dress too, but hers was more of a copper color. Still, it was weird that they had made similar choices. Kind of matches their choices of men, Quinn smirked to herself, seeing Rachel with Finn.

Quinn felt jealous of Rachel, but she figured that Rachel has probably felt this way about her too. Quinn could see Puck turn and stare at Rachel as she entered the dance, but she didn't elbow him like she usually would. She was staring at Finn anyway. Let him look. She wasn't sure if Puck was just being a pig, or if maybe there was something going on that she didn't understand between Puck and Rachel—because she noticed the way Rachel searched the room and locked eyes with Puck.

…

Kurt and Mercedes walked into the dance arm in arm, followed closely by Tina and Artie. Even though he'd rather have come with Alex for romantic purposes, Kurt was a little nervous about such a big move in Lima. Maybe for Prom… But Mercedes was his girl for gossip, and Kurt couldn't keep from spilling everything about his investigations of Puck and Rachel, beginning with the day after Thanksgiving and finishing with his evening getting ready for the dance at Rachel's. It seemed fair to talk about it now since he'd already given Finn his assessment. He'd promised Finn would be the _first_ to know, not the _only_ to know. And now there might be more to assess at the dance, so the gleeks could entertain themselves while making speculations, assumptions, and bets on the truth of the situation.

"Who's in for it's one-sided from Rachel and Puck's not interested?"

"Who's in for two-sided? And let's raise the stakes—who thinks they're having sex?!"

…

Rachel was getting her groove on but it looked innocent enough—probably because Finn was trying hard to keep up and not be the clumsy oaf that he was. They didn't look like a lot of the other couples grinding on each other, and Puck was grateful for that. Still, he wasn't sure he could take another hiphop song. As he watched Rachel do as the rapper commanded, "raise your hands in the air", and her dress inched dangerously high up her toned thighs, Puck clenched his fists. Quinn couldn't help but notice.

"Do you think you can help me with something, Puck?" Puck was startled from his glaring and turned his eyes to Quinn. He appreciated the view he got down her dress. She had nice boobs, but he stopped himself from commenting out loud.

"I'd like to see where I stand with Finn. Do you think you could distract Rachel for me? You seem like the right man for the job."

"Uh, what's this about?" Puck was a little uncomfortable that Quinn realized he would be happy to distract Rachel.

"I know it seems like we're both the villains and they are the innocent victims. But that doesn't mean we have to end up together and they have to end up together." Originally Quinn had thought of that speech to refer to herself and Finn, but she was getting the impression that the words meant something to Puck too. "It's like they're our other halves—they could balance us out the way we can't do for each other, you know?"

"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about." Puck didn't know where Quinn was coming up with this stuff. How could she possibly know anything about him and Rachel?

"Ok, fine. I was talking about me and Finn, no one else." It didn't matter to Quinn if he admitted to having feelings for Rachel or not. It only mattered that he followed along with her plan. "I'm going to request that the dj play some slow songs. We're going to go over to Rachel and Finn and ask if they care to dance. I need to try to make amends with Finn, and he'll barely talk to me. If Berry agrees to dance with you, he'll be stuck with me. And from there I hope to help him remember the good things about the two of us when we were together. All you have to do is dance with Rachel for a few songs. I'm certain you can handle that part of the plan."

Before Puck could realize what he was saying, the words left his mouth. "You sound a lot like Rachel."

Quinn looked at him quizzically. "Like Rachel, how?"

Puck did his impression of comic book Rachel, the giant girl holding her golden awards statue as she stomped across New York.

Quinn's mouth dropped open. She quickly closed it so she wouldn't look unladylike. "What's with the Godzilla impersonation?"

Puck saw her expression and lowered his arm slowly. That joke only works in his head. "You know, she'll do anything to get what she wants, like a Tony award or whatever. You'll do what it takes to get what you want: Finn." He explained sheepishly. It was Quinn's fault for talking about villains and then spilling her master plan. It got Puck thinking about comics and Rachel as a super-villain.

"Ok… um…I'll be right back. Try not to look too ridiculous in the meantime." That boy could be the biggest badass in school, but sometimes he's the biggest goofball! And yeah, she was _so_ right that he had feelings for Rachel! Somehow she felt a twinge of smug satisfaction for being right, while at the same time she felt a twinge of jealousy to know that he wasn't pining over her. But, no, she wasn't pining over him either, so it was much better this way.

Quinn put on the sweet smile she always used to get what she wants as she approached the dj table. "I'm here to request that you play two slow songs in a row. And one of them has to be this one. You can play whatever you want for the second, as long as you can slow dance to it."

The dj nodded as he appraised Quinn. "You know I'm just doing this 'cuz you're hot, right?"

"I get that a lot." Quinn let a little of her Ice Queen personality seep out towards the pervy dj (he was like, old), before she worked up the courage to approach Finn. She felt nervous and vulnerable, but she knew that this was her best chance to start making things right with Finn. Puck approached her, offered her his arm, and they smiled at each other as they walked up to Finn and Rachel on the dance floor. They made a good team.

Rachel noticed them first and stopped dancing. She and Finn stared at Puck and Quinn blankly. Puck could almost laugh at the bizarre similarities and differences between the two. He would have laughed at the dumb looks on their faces, if he hadn't been so nervous. Quinn elbowed Puck.

"Hey, guys. Care to switch up the scenery?" Puck asked as casually as he could manage.

Quinn followed up. "We thought it would be fun to change partners for a song or two." Just as Quinn hoped, Rachel agreed right away.

"Sure, we're all friends here," beamed Rachel.

Finn looked on as Rachel moved toward Puck. "Don't worry, dude, I'll bring her back in the same condition I found her in." Puck couldn't resist the remark as he placed a hand on the small of Rachel's back to guide her. Rachel huffed and swatted at Puck, but she didn't refuse as he led her away. Finn watched helplessly as they moved farther onto the crowded dance floor. Suddenly, Finn was overtaken by a golden vision of Quinn as she wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him with shining eyes.

Crap, why did she have to be so beautiful?

…

**A.N.** There was so much I wanted to put into the Dance that it had to be divided. But hopefully you'll enjoy what's coming. **Next chapter** **continues the Winter Dance: ** where Rachel and Puck have a confrontation; Quinn tries to rekindle the flames with Finn; and the sparks between Rachel and Puck are revealed to a wider circle, including Finn (cue dramatic cliffhanger music here). Thanks to all of you readers and reviewers! I have the song that Quinn requested all ready for Chapter 10, but if anyone wants to suggest a second slow song, feel free!


	10. I don't wanna hurt you

**A.N.** Thank you so much for your response to my last chapter and for song suggestions. Special thanks to **blue18eyes** for suggesting the song "Can't Help Falling In Love" (Elvis), which she graciously offered to me even though she's planning to write it into a future chapter; to **chrpangel** who suggested three great songs, one of which I used, "Wonderwall" (Oasis); and to **LizzayMartini**, who suggested three great songs too, one of which I used here, "Two Is Better Than One" (Boys Like Girls and Taylor Swift). I ripped Quinn's song directly from _Veronica Mars _("Sway" by The Perishers, which I highly recommend—it's full of awesome). This is my gift to all of you, which led me to end on a happy note instead of another cliffhanger. (But I'm going to write a holiday chapter soon, even though it will be after Christmas.)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee, any songs, or the ideas of others which have been incorporated into this story.

…

**Winter Dance (Part 2), Junior Year**

Kurt was in his element, basking in the glow of recounting his adventures investigating Rachel and Puck. Some of the sophomores who had joined New Directions had gathered around, so the juniors were filling them in on some of the lesser-known details of Babygate and the drama that followed. Then Kurt animatedly launched into his solo surveillance efforts, and finally, the kids began to take bets from the newly-informed sophs about what they thought the real relationship between Puck and Rachel could be. "And the wager with the highest stakes, but the biggest win, is if you bet that Puck and Rachel are secretly having sex!"

"Disgusting," commented Santana, who overheard while she was passing the gossiping gleeks.

Kurt's eyes narrowed, "Excuse me? Just what is so disgusting?" It seemed unlikely that Santana was suddenly offended that they were gossiping about Rachel or Puck.

"The idea that Puck would want to have sex with _her_ when he could come back to _me_!"

"Hey, what the hell, Santana?" cried Matt, her date.

"I'm not saying I would _let _him, I'm just saying he hasn't even _asked_, so I can't _imagine _he…well, maybe I'm wrong…" Santana saw Puck guiding Rachel onto the dance floor. The look on her face was a mix of shock and disgust. "What the hell?"

…

The notes of the song Quinn requested filled the room, and couples closed in on each other for the slow dance. Quinn started singing the lyrics softly in Finn's ear.

_I talk to you as to a friend  
I hope that's what you've come to be  
It feels as though we've made amends  
Like we found a way eventually  
_

"Quinn…don't," Finn tried to stop her. He started to pull away. She held him a bit tighter and continued, but now even more of a whisper. He couldn't help but be mesmerized. He had to lean down to hear her. Her soft voice helped him really listen to the words of the song. Some seemed to be Quinn's perspective, but some seemed like they could be his. Or they could be how Quinn wanted things to be between them.

_It was you who picked the pieces up  
When I was a broken soul  
And then glued me back together  
Returned to me what others stole_

The feeling of Rachel in his arms and the lyrics of the song combined to send a wave of warmth through Noah Puckerman. He sort of forgot that he was mad at her for coming to the dance. "You know, Quinn is using this song to apologize to Finn, but I think it means something for us too. The words and stuff."_  
_

Rachel didn't answer. She looked lost in thought. "Rach, are you ok?"

"Do I not look ok?"

_  
I don't wanna hurt you  
I don't wanna make you sway_

"You look amazing." Puck turned her into a spin, eliciting a surprised smile from Rachel. Dancing lessons in glee were actually useful for something.

_  
Like I know I've done before  
I will not do it anymore  
I've always been a dreamer  
I've had my head among the clouds  
Well now that I'm coming down  
Won't you be my solid ground?  
_

"That's because I could give lessons in amazing," she replied smugly, but with a gleam in her eye.

"I don't doubt that. Maybe I should sign up for lessons."

"I'll consider your application." She kept up with the banter, but Rachel's brain was working overtime. She remembered when he called her amazing for her plans for him. She remembered how she felt every time he sang to her. But she remembered he said this song was for her too. Rachel interpreted that to mean that Puck was trying to be friends with her, and Quinn was trying to apologize and be friends with Finn, all so Puck and Quinn could feel ok about getting back together.

_  
I look at you and see a friend  
I hope that's what you wanna be  
Are we back now where it all began?  
Have you finally forgiven me?_

"You and Quinn really look perfect together tonight," Rachel whispered resignedly. "I think I understand what you're telling me with this song, and I accept."

_  
You gathered my dreams in  
When they all blew away  
And then tricked them back into me  
You saved me I was almost dead  
_

"Me and Quinn? Yeah right. We're complete opposites. Are you saying that _we_ don't look good together? We're a couple of good lookin' Jews, remember?" Puck smirked, and Rachel returned a watery smile.

"They say opposites attract."

_  
I don't wanna hurt you  
I don't wanna make you sway_

"What's wrong here? I don't think you know what I mean about this song." Puck wasn't getting the kind of response he expected from Rachel. He was being all sensitive and shit. She looked like he was breaking up with her. (Not that they were dating.)

_  
Like I know I've done before  
I will not do it anymore  
I've always been a dreamer  
I've had my head among the clouds  
Now that I'm coming down  
Won't you be my solid ground?_

"I'm saying that you're the one who put me back together after Quinn and our baby. And we have this crappy history, you know? 'Cause I'm an asshole, and again, I'm really sorry for all of that. But we're in a good place now, right?" Rachel nodded in response, but didn't have any words

_  
I don't wanna hurt you  
Like I know I've done before  
I will not do it anymore...  
_

Puck could tell things still weren't right, but he didn't know why. He was getting frustrated. "You know, I didn't even want to go to the dance. But you came here with Finn. I had to keep an eye on you."

Rachel scoffed. "Don't you trust me? And if you weren't even willing to take me to the dance as friends, why does it matter?" Rachel's sadness and fear caused her voice to be strained.

"You started this secret friends with benefits thing, not me! I figured as soon as people saw us together at the dance, they'd see right through us."

"What do you mean?"

_I don't wanna hurt you  
I don't wanna make you sway_

"I mean they'd see that that we're more than friends."

_  
Like I know I've done before  
I will not do it anymore_

"That we're friends with benefits?" she spoke quietly but harshly into his ear. "How could anyone tell that?"

_I've always been a dreamer  
I've had my head among the clouds  
Now that I'm coming down  
Won't you be my solid ground?_

The last notes lingered as Rachel and Puck continued arguing.

"No, not that. We're more than that, Rachel, don't you think? He rushed on, in case there would be any awkwardness from his little outpouring. "And besides, I was right. Quinn figured it out. Quinn said that you and me balance each other out."

"You talked to Quinn about us?" Rachel practically squeaked the words.

"No! She could just tell by looking at us I guess. It's probably like the way she looks at Finn."

Rachel was trying to process the situation, which was starting to appear to be quite different from her initial assessment. Quinn was trying to win back Finn. "Well, how do we balance each other out?"

"You know, I help you chill out, live a little. Plus you get to have your way with _me_—that's quite a deal." Puck tried to use humor to diffuse the situation (though he didn't even _understand _the situation).

"And what do you get out of this arrangement?"

The notes of the next song "Two Is Better Than One" were beginning.

"Hopefully sex." She shoved him.

_I remember what you wore on the first day  
You came into my life and I thought  
"Hey, you know, this could be something"  
'Cause everything you do and words you say  
You know that it all takes my breath away  
And now I'm left with nothing  
_

"I'm not joking," He deadpanned. He wasn't joking really, but it was more than that, and he knew he had to go against every badass bone in his body and tell her.

_So maybe it's true  
That I can't live without you  
Maybe two is better than one  
There's so much time  
To figure out the rest of my life  
And you thought that it got me coming undone  
And I'm thinking two is better than one  
_

"But seriously, you motivate me, you think I have potential or some shit. You'd never call me a loser." He brought her back into his arms, and they continued dancing.

"Never," she whispered.

_  
I remember every look upon your face  
The way you roll your eyes  
The way you taste  
You make it hard for breathing  
'Cause when I close my eyes and drift away  
I think of you and everything's okay  
I'm finally now believing  
_

Puck and Rachel took time to enjoy their moment. He massaged her hips and lower back lightly as they swayed together and she rested her head on his chest. They didn't think about how they might look to anyone else.

_  
That maybe it's true  
That I can't live without you  
Maybe two is better than one  
There's so much time  
To figure out the rest of my life  
And you've already got me coming undone  
And I'm thinking two is better than one  
Yeah, yeah  
_

They didn't realize that their actions had been entertaining some of the gleeks, who had paired off so that some could subtly dance their way to Puck and Rachel. They had gleefully witnessed the argument between Puck and Rachel, as well as the apparent resolution, which was certainly more than friendly.

_I remember what you wore on the first day  
You came into my life and I thought, "Hey,"  
Maybe it's true  
That I can't live without you  
Maybe two is better than one  
There's so much time  
To figure out the rest of my life  
And you thought that it got me coming undone_

"Excuse me, Finn, I'm sorry to interrupt. I said you had nothing to worry about, but I'm revising my statement." Kurt pointed to Puck and Rachel.

Finn let go of Quinn and without a word, headed in the direction of the cozy couple. Quinn followed Finn as he made his way across the dance floor to Puck and Rachel. An odd train followed him: Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Artie, and this caught the eye of several other glee members who had been in on the action.

_And I'm thinking  
I can't live without you  
'Cause, baby, two is better than one  
There's so much time  
To figure out the rest of my life  
But I'll figure it out  
When all is said and done  
Two is better than one  
Two is better than one_

As soon as she saw them coming, Rachel sent Finn a guilty look. Quinn felt sick. What, does Rachel Berry like them _both_? And it seems they both like her. What is it with this girl? If Quinn couldn't have Finn, she could at least have Puck as the next best thing—unless Rachel had them both. Quinn marched ahead of Finn and whispered to Rachel loudly enough for her to hear over the commotion of the dance, but not so loudly that she thought anyone else could hear.

"Can't you just pick one of them? I need some peace of mind, please!" Her voice was desperate. She was desperate.

Rachel answered out loud. "Oh, well I came with Finn, so I will finish the night with Finn of course." She threw an apologetic look to Noah.

Finn heard Rachel, and was grateful, but he was suspicious. "What's going on with you two?"

"Nothing," said Rachel.

Finn thought about what Kurt had told him, and it didn't look like he had nothing to worry about.

"Then what's with the looks? And the hands?" Suddenly, things were falling into place for Finn. The way Rachel and Puck sang together; the way she had jumped up to greet him when he came to her house for the glee club party… The way they were looking at each other tonight. The way they were _touching_ each other tonight. "Do you want to be with Puck?"

"Dude, we're just dancing," defended Puck. "Chill out."

"I will not chill out! It's you, it's always you! You take _everything_! You're ruining my life!" Finn reached around Rachel and gave Puck a shove.

And this moment happened to be captured for eternity by Jacob Ben-Israel's trusty camera. Puck being pushed by Finn, with Rachel in between them and Quinn looking on from the side. Jacob knew this entry was going to be _good_. He stuck around to see how the drama played out, but far enough away that he hoped he was safe from getting punched by one or both jocks.

"Please stop it!" cried Rachel. "Please! Finn, calm down, ok? Let's go back to dancing, and we'll leave Quinn and Puck alone for now. Then after we settle down, I think we should all talk."

"You never answered my question," Finn prodded. He had to know.

Rachel looked at Noah. He shrugged. She wasn't sure if that meant he didn't know what to do, or if it meant that she should go ahead and tell Finn the truth.

"For one, I am not yours to take, so Puck didn't take me from you." Rachel tried to speak calmly. "Finn, you know I'm your friend. But I'm also friends with Noah. And my friendship with him has developed into more…"

"Friends? You never even talk at school! You ratted him out to me last year! _I'm_ your friend, Rachel! How could you do this to me?" And what Finn really wanted to know was why her friendship with Puck became _more_ while theirs didn't.

"Please, Finn, I think we need to talk about this privately." Rachel gestured to Jacob who was leering at them, notebook in hand. Finn nodded, and walked with Rachel as she guided him away from Puck and Quinn and the amateur journalist. The glee kids who had been looking on took the cue to scatter and were followed by Jacob who was looking for an exclusive interview, leaving Puck and Quinn mostly alone.

Was this reality? Quinn was the second choice? She wasn't even Finn's second choice. Quinn felt so alone.

"Hey, do you just wanna get out of here?" Puck asked gently.

Tears threatened to spill over. "No, please, I don't want to be alone right now."

"Hey, hey, it's ok, babe." Puck tried to comfort her by drawing her into a hug. "I'm not going anywhere. Let's go back to dancing." He felt like crap. What had he gotten himself into?

…

Rachel led Finn to the far side of the dance floor. Finn's mind was racing with questions. He couldn't really process the situation, so he just followed her. He couldn't bring himself to storm out in classic Rachel Berry style. As the song "Wonderwall" began playing, Finn pulled himself from his stupor and began hurling questions at Rachel.

_Today is gonna be the day  
That they're gonna throw it back to you  
By now you should've somehow  
Realized what you gotta do  
I don't believe that anybody  
Feels the way I do about you now  
_

"Why him? Why not us?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. The timing was never right for us. It's like we're star-crossed lovers, you know, from Lit. class?" Finn nodded. _Romeo and Juliet_ flashed in his head. Yeah, he knew.

_  
Backbeat the word was on the street  
That the fire in your heart is out  
I'm sure you've heard it all before  
But you never really had a doubt  
I don't believe that anybody feels  
The way I do about you now  
_

"Then why did you come to the dance with me? You know, it made me feel like we had a chance."

"I'm sorry, Finn. I was trying to make it clear that I wanted to go with you as a friend. I wanted to come to the dance with you. You asked me. He didn't. But I know that he didn't ask me because we were keeping our relationship a secret. We didn't want to hurt anyone."

_  
And all the roads we have to walk along are winding  
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding  
There are many things that I would  
Like to say to you  
I don't know how  
_

"You've been lying to me Rachel. Friends don't lie to each other. I feel like you were kinda leading me on this whole time."

Rachel was not pleased by this comment. "Finn Hudson, I think you lied to me and led me on for your own benefit last year, if you recall! And I forgave you and continued to treat you as a friend. People make mistakes. I am sorry that you are hurt by my relationship with Noah, and I'm sorry that I felt I had to keep it from you."

_  
Because maybe  
You're gonna be the one who saves me  
And after all  
You're my wonderwall  
_

"That's kind of a half-assed apology, Rachel. Excuse my language. It's like you're defending yourself and blaming me at the same time."

That boy could really pick up on emotional subtleties. Rachel looked him straight in the eyes. "I am truly sorry. I really do want us to be friends. Maybe someday we'll grow to be more, but right now I am in a relationship with Noah, and I want to pursue it. I don't want to ruin it by being unclear with you. Finn, you and I are strictly friends. I am deeply sorry if I led you to believe otherwise."

_  
Today was gonna be the day  
But they'll never throw it back to you  
By now you should've somehow  
Realized what you're not to do  
I don't believe that anybody  
Feels the way I do  
About you now_

"Ok. I guess I have to accept that. I really thought we had something, you know? Like we were meant for each other or something. We make sense. Puck and Quinn make sense together. Do you feel that way about him, like you're meant to be together?" Finn flashed a longing look that used to make Rachel melt. It did make her a little weak in the knees even now.

_And all the roads that lead to you were winding  
And all the lights that light the way are blinding  
There are many things that I would like to say to you  
I don't know how  
_

"I think Noah and I complement each other well. And I actually think you and Quinn complement each other too. Though I haven't always felt that way. I do admit that I should have maintained a friendship-only relationship with both you and Noah, but you can't help who you fall in love with."

Finn needed a moment to process this revelation. Rachel cursed herself for this inadvertent admission.

_  
I said maybe  
You're gonna be the one who saves me ?  
And after all  
You're my wonderwall  
_

"You're in _love_ with him?!" (It was worse than he thought.) "Rachel, you're going to get your heart broken! This is _Puck_ we're talking about here!"

_  
I said maybe  
You're gonna be the one who saves me  
And after all  
You're my wonderwall  
_

"I assure you I will be fine. But I appreciate your concern." Rachel was a bit icy, but she hadn't meant to tell Finn she was falling in love with Noah. She hadn't even told the object of her affection the truth about how deep her feelings ran. "This is high school. I'm not expecting we'll live happily ever after." (Although that could be a dream come true, she won't set her expectations so unrealistically high.)

_  
Said maybe  
You're gonna be the one that saves me  
You're gonna be the one that saves me  
You're gonna be the one that saves me_

Finn looked down at Rachel skeptically and with concern. Rachel didn't like it. It felt patronizing, like he knew her relationship was bound to fail.

"We clearly have some work to do if we are going to maintain our friendship. That is, if you want to maintain our friendship…" Rachel trailed off because she wasn't sure what Finn would say.

"I thought you were gonna be the one that saved me," he muttered, mimicking the song lyrics. But he really thought of Rachel that way. He thought that if he could be with Rachel, it would save him from all of the terrible things that had happened with Quinn. All of the terrible feelings he had felt. She had been his ray of hope.

"What?" Rachel hadn't heard him.

"Nothing. I want to be friends, but I'm upset right now. I need to be alone. Can I just take you home?"

Rachel nodded. Her eyes were filling with tears. She wasn't mad at Finn for being upset with her. She expected it. But it was an emotional night for her. She tried to scan the crowd for Noah, to catch a glimpse of him on her way out and to try to send him a signal or something. She wasn't sure. But Rachel didn't see him. Her vision was a bit blurred by the tears that welled up but were prevented from falling by her sheer force of will.

…

"Ok, I think I'm ready to get out of here." The whispers and stares of everyone around them, whether real or imagined, were finally getting to Quinn. She didn't want to leave—because she knew once they left, Puck would take her home, and she'd be alone—but she didn't want to stay there at the dance.

"Of course, whatever you want."

As soon as Quinn made it into Puck's truck, she burst into tears. Puck looked at her helplessly before wrapping her in his arms and rocking gently. After a while, her sniffling quieted. "Thanks, I think I'm doing better now," she looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears.

Still in his embrace, she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. He was leaning down to kiss her forehead. Somehow, they were kissing on the lips. Somehow, they were in full make out mode in his truck in the school parking lot. Somehow, things were really hot and really _wrong_.

"Is your mom home?" Quinn breathed.

He knew why she asked. _Thank God_ for his mom being home! Puck literally said a silent prayer thanking God.

"Yeah, she is. Must be divine intervention." Yeah, Noah Puckerman actually stopped things from going too far. "I think I'll be in trouble if things keep going where they're going, and I'm sure you'll regret it too." But half of him wanted to keep going. And not just the lower half—even though he was really _aching_ to go there. Quinn will always have a place in his heart. And she's smokin' hot. But he knew this would hurt Rachel. They hadn't worked out just exactly what they are yet, but he knew they were something, something that wouldn't last if he took Quinn home with him. Berry better be super-grateful for this. Not that he could tell her what he just gave up. Damn.

"This is about Rachel, isn't it? It's ok, I get it. Can you just take me home?"

They drove in silence until suddenly Quinn asked, "It was her idea wasn't it?"

"What?"

"The visit with Dizzy, the pictures, the letters we wrote for her to read when she's older, all of those details—that just smacks of Rachel Berry! You've been seeing her for a long time, haven't you?"

"Yeah."

"But you kept it a secret, why?" Before she finished her sentence, she had a feeling she knew. _Finn_.

"We weren't sure it would go over very well. And we weren't even sure what we were. I'm still not sure what we are."

"I think it's pretty obvious what you are." So obvious, that she didn't need to tell him.

He nodded uncertainly.

"But just be careful with her."

"What, are you concerned about _her_ now?"

"No, I mean _you_ should be careful. I'm concerned about _you_. She's always had this thing with Finn. They have some weird bond. Believe me, I've been on the wrong end of that. I don't want to see you get your heart broken."

He scoffed. "Yeah, I think I'll be fine. But thanks for your concern." Though Quinn's words echoed in the back of his mind.

Quinn decided to ignore his tone. "Well, if you ever want to talk about it, I know your little secret now, so you can talk to me if you want. Get some intelligent outside perspective."

Puck chuckled. "Thanks, Quinn." Puck softened at the idea that Quinn was making an effort to be friends. "And hey, I really think that Finn will figure out he's being a dumbass. I bet if you and Rachel put your minds to it, you'd come up with a great plan in no time." He grinned. He thought he was right—they were the two best schemers he knew.

Quinn gave a weak smile. "Thanks, Puck. I'll think about it. You're a good friend. Really. Rachel is lucky to have you, in whatever way she has you."

Puck smiled sincerely as he opened the passenger door for Quinn. He never walked her to her house since her parents hated him. But they shared a warm hug before he hopped back in his truck and drove off.

He noticed his phone had just finished vibrating from a missed call. Shit, that made two missed calls from Rachel. One was probably during his inappropriate make out session with Quinn. Shit. He returned her call, not quite sure what he would say. Which was better, "honesty is the best policy" or "what you don't know won't hurt you"? He decided the latter was better for his current situation. "Hey, what's up, Rach?" he said innocently.

…

After her first phone call to Noah resulted in no answer, Rachel felt the now-familiar nagging concern she had whenever Puck was alone with Quinn. She knew that he and Quinn were still at the dance after Finn had taken her home. Rachel would try to give him the benefit of being innocent until proven guilty. She just really hoped he wasn't doing anything now that he should be guilty about (or that she would make him feel guilty about if she found out). After her second phone call went unanswered, Rachel started to panic and think the worst. She had started to visualize scenarios of all of the things Puck could be doing with Quinn. She was relieved of these visions when she saw Noah calling her back.

"Oh, I'm so glad you called me back! I've been going out of mind!"

"What's new about that, Berry?"

"Is that supposed to be a joke? Because I'm really not in jovial mood." Rachel lectured over the phone.

"Sorry." Puck decided to infer the meaning of "jovial" without making things worse by making further comments about how crazy Rachel is and how she talks like she ate a dictionary for breakfast.

"Well, do you want to come over or not?" she snapped.

"Uh, yeah. I'm on my way." Puck wasn't sure if he did want to come over since Rachel sounded pissy. Maybe it would have been better if he would have just shown up at her house so they wouldn't have had that crappy conversation. Too late now.

"And make sure to sneak in through the window."

Puck perked up at the implications in Rachel's voice.

…

After the kiss on the cheek from Rachel when he dropped her off at her house, Finn headed home in a daze. He was furious with Puck, and a bit mad at Rachel for hiding this from him and even kinda leading him on. Finn felt like he was on autopilot, and somehow after trudging up to his bedroom, he managed to turn on his computer and read Jacob Ben-Israel's latest blog. He knew that he'd be featured because he had seen that creepy jewfro kid snap some pictures of them at the dance. Even though Rachel had led him away to talk privately, he knew the kid would post something.

_Finn Hudson and Noah Puckerman fighting over the same girl—? No, this is not a re-run of a headline from last year. In fact, this year the good boy and bad boy jocks aren't fighting over the spooge-worthy cheerleader Quinn Fabray. They are fighting over glee drama queen Rachel Berry. (Yes, it seems we have entered Bizarro World.) Funny, even the girls' dresses reveal that this time the boys are fighting over the bronze medal while the gold medal prize looks on forlornly (look it up, jocks, it will help you with SAT prep). What is this about you ask? Well, my sources say this time there's no bun in the oven, but it may be only a matter of time given Puck's reputation. Here's what we know: Finn and Rachel appeared at the dance together, as did Puck and Quinn. The pairs switched dance partners during the evening, and Puck and Rachel appeared to be on the verge of an illicit kiss when Finn, Quinn, and a train of glee club spectators broke up the party. Who left together? The original couples left intact, but for how long? While this reporter has a place in his heart for beautiful in bronze Berry, one still must ask the obvious question: how can these two fight over Rachel Berry when golden goddess Quinn Fabray is available? Sure, she had a drop in status, but that doesn't change the fact that she's every guy's wet dream. She's still a Cheerio, and she'll probably climb back to the top of the social ladder by next year. Besides, she's had a baby, so we all know she's no longer the poster girl for celibacy, more like a future sororitute. My advice to you boys who may have a chance at it: snatch up Quinn Fabray while she's feeling vulnerable from her rejection by dim bulbs Hudson and Puckerman. They're idiots and you'd be a genius—or at least following the advice of a genius. JB-I signing off._

The idea of another someone else sweeping in, when Quinn was trying to make things right with him made him really, really uncomfortable. And if he didn't have feelings for her, then he shouldn't feel that way, right? He should be happy that someone would occupy Quinn while he went after Rachel. But he wasn't. At all. He was also pissed at the crude things that little cretin had written about Quinn, implying she was the school slut now. Finn wasn't happy at this development and knew Quinn would be pretty crushed if she read it. He had been mad at Quinn and Puck most of last year, and the idea of them together made him a little crazy, but it made sense that they would be together for their baby. He never thought about how he'd feel if he didn't have Rachel _or_ Quinn. That didn't seem to even be a possibility. And certainly it was never a possibility in Finn's mind that _Puck_ would have Rachel _and_ Quinn. What the fuck? Finn didn't usually swear so bad, but _seriously_! Finn tried to imagine a world in which Rachel was dating Puck, and Quinn was dating some random guy who had read Jacob's blog and decided to be a genius. What would be worse? Sitting idly by without either one of them, or trying to work things out with Quinn? Because it was obvious that Rachel was going to be with Puck, not him. At least for now. She made that pretty clear. Finn took a few deep breaths and threw a few karate moves at himself in the mirror. He decided to call Quinn.

…

Puck parked down the block and climbed up to Rachel's window. She met him there to open the window all the way and help him inside. She was still wearing her dress. He was still wearing his suit and hadn't realized until that moment that he could have really screwed it up with his acrobatics to get into her room. As he brushed some stray pieces of tree bark from his pants, he heard Rachel say, "I've been waiting for you, Noah." His pulse quickened, and little Puck woke up at the sexy way she spoke. She brought her hands to his face, bringing him down to her lips. They moved together awkwardly to her bed, not breaking from the kiss. He swung her around so that she'd fall on top of him on the bed. Puck's fingers caressed her and started pulling down the zipper of her dress.

"Wait. Noah, wait," Rachel whispered with some urgency. Puck looked at her with questions in his eyes. Things were going so well.

"I want to have one dance with you, here, the last dance of the night. Before we lose our clothes," she smiled knowingly.

"I guess I can indulge your request," Puck pouted, and then smiled genuinely.

Rachel selected her song, "All We Are" by Matt Nathanson, and made sure the music was audible, but not too loud to disturb her fathers. Puck stood up from her bed.

_I tasted, tasted love so sweet  
And all of it was lost on me  
Bought and sold like property  
Sugar on my tongue  
_

She walked toward him, and he held out his hand to her. They fell into a simple slow dance with her arms around his neck and his arms resting comfortably around her waist.

_  
I kept falling over  
I kept looking backward  
I went broke believing  
That the simple should be hard  
_

"I think I made this too hard. Maybe we should have been honest with everyone to start." Rachel looked into his eyes.

_  
All we are we are  
All we are we are  
And every day is a start of something beautiful_

_  
_"I dunno, maybe," he whispered. "But I do know that you're beautiful."

_  
I wasted, wasted love for you  
Traded out for something new  
Well, it's hard to change the way you lose  
If you think you never won_

_'Cause all we are we are  
All we are we are  
And every day is a start of something beautiful_

_And in the end the words won't matter  
'Cause in the end nothing stays the same  
And in the end dreams just scatter and fall like rain_

_'Cause all we are we are  
All we are we are  
And every day is a start of something beautiful, something real  
_

"I think _we_ could be something beautiful, don't you?" asked Rachel seriously.

_  
All we are we are  
All we are we are  
And every day is a start of something beautiful, beautiful_

"Yeah. And real." Puck's answer was simple, but it was exactly right to Rachel.

She decided he wouldn't freak out too much at the song that was about to play next. Yes, she'd made a playlist for this moment. Rachel kissed him passionately as "Can't Help Falling in Love" began playing. Could she actually taste the sparks between them?

_Wise men say only fools rush in  
But I can't help falling in love with you  
Shall I stay?  
Would it be a sin?  
If I can't help falling in love with you  
_

"Can you stay with me tonight?" Rachel asked. Puck nodded. His mom might freak, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

_  
Like a river flows surely to the sea  
Darling so it goes  
Some things are meant to be_

Puck kissed her tentatively. He wasn't sure how far she was going to take things tonight, so he didn't want to be forceful.

_  
Take my hand, take my whole life too  
For I can't help falling in love with you  
_

Rachel was the one who began pulling off his jacket, so he helped toss it aside. She unbuttoned his shirt, so he helped shrug it off. Rachel kissed him ferociously as she began fumbling with his pants, so he helped ease them off. This was partly for practical reasons because a mistake with the zipper could have ended the night right then.

_  
Like a river flows surely to the sea  
Darling so it goes  
Some things are meant to be_

Rachel unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor. She was completely naked. Puck drew in his breath sharply. He'd seen parts of her without clothes before, but mostly he had felt her body in the dark. Now he was seeing her for the first time in the soft glow of the lamp. She shivered a little under his gaze.

_  
Take my hand, take my whole life too  
For I can't help falling in love with you  
For I can't help falling in love with you_

"You're so beautiful, Rachel." He picked her up and gently laid her onto her bed.

And everything was perfect for a while.

…

**A.N. ** There are a few hints in this chapter about where the story is going next. If something happened in this chapter that didn't get resolved, you can be sure that I'm not going to drop it. (And there are several things that fall into that category.) I don't want to give too much away, but the setting for next time will be the Winter Concert and the winter break, so there will be some holiday flair. **Disclaimer:** The line about "lessons in amazing" was inspired by "12 Men of Christmas," which is a Lifetime movie with Kristin Chenoweth that I watched because it was Cheno.


	11. Let It Snow!

**A.N.** Happy Holidays and thanks for all of your reviews! The beginning starts with a light M rating, so please skip if you're young or dislike mature scenes. I didn't think it was intense enough to warrant changing the story rating. But if anyone disagrees, leave a comment and let me know if I need to bump up the story rating. **LizzayMartini **suggested Christina Aguilera's "These are the Special Times".** PoliVamp **suggested En Vogue's "Don't Let Go (Love)" and to see more gleeks' perspectives. I did my best to include these ideas. I've read various names for Puck's little sister. I used "Sarah", which has been used by more than one author, so I thought a little continuity across fics would help, even if it shows a lack of creativity. Please don't get mad at me, whoever actually started using "Sarah Puckerman" first.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee, any songs used, or anything else that might be familiar.

…

**December, Junior Year **

The songs on Rachel's "falling in love playlist" spoke volumes. As Puck and Rachel deepened their make out session, the ladies of En Vogue provided mood music. It wasn't exactly Puck's music of choice, but he could dig the subliminal messages he thought Rachel was providing by her song selections.

_What's it gonna be?  
Cuz I can't pretend  
Don't you wanna be more than friends?  
Hold me tight and don't let go  
Don't let go  
Have the right to lose control  
Don't let go_

Rachel was completely naked, and Puck had actually worn underwear to the dance, but they had been discarded several minutes ago. Their bodies were together in every way but the final boundary had not been crossed. Rachel seemed ready. Her body was definitely ready. Puck broke their kiss and looked down at her.

_I often tell myself  
That we could be more than just friends  
I know you think that if we move to soon  
It would all end  
I live in misery when you're not around  
And I won't be satisfied 'till we're taking those vows  
There'll be some lovemaking, heartbreaking, soul shaking  
Oh, lovemaking, heartbreaking, soul shaking…_

"Rachel, are you sure you want to do this?" He had to make sure. No mistakes this time.

Rachel froze. Every fiber of her body screamed yes (!) but she was terrified. She expected this moment to come and she knew she wanted Noah to be the one. She _knew_ he was the _one_. But…

"I'm so sorry. I don't think I can do this."

Immediately Puck let out a breath and rolled off of her. He laid on his side with one arm to prop up his head. Although he was (extremely) sexually frustrated, he asked as gently as he could manage, "What's wrong?"

Rachel turned to face him, mirroring his pose and covering herself with her sheet. "I thought I could do this. I mean I _want_ to do this. But I feel weird with my dads sleeping downstairs, guiltier and worried about being quiet so we don't get caught. It's not want I want to feel. I want to be able to really enjoy the moment."

"I guess I get that." Puck felt a bit defeated, but it seemed like Rachel wasn't completely rejecting the notion of eventual sex.

"Are you ok with waiting for me?" She really hoped so. She had no proof, but she thought that he had been waiting for her for a while since they spent pretty much all of their free time together. Rachel imagined that Puck would have a hard time scheduling sex romps just due to the sheer logistics.

"Yeah, I've waited this long." Puck didn't add that there was a limit for how long he thought he could wait, especially after getting so close... He hoped it wouldn't get to that point.

In her excitement at his acquiescence, Rachel outstretched her arms, knocking the sheet away, and reached over to hug him tightly. The move threw Puck off balance, and he managed not to crush her as he fell on top of her. The closeness of their bodies and Rachel's smile brought Puck's erection almost back to its full potential. A mischievous grin appeared on his face. "You're worried about waking your dads, huh? Then you better keep a pillow nearby to muffle the sounds."

"What?" Rachel asked, but as she saw him sliding down her body and disappear under the blankets, she grabbed the nearest pillow, and it wasn't long before she was shuddering and struggling to keep her voice down from behind the pillow. She vowed to return the favor to the best of her ability.

Exhausted, they both fell asleep to a song Rachel found especially fitting.

_Oh yeah, oh  
In these moments, moments of our lives  
All the world is ours  
And this world is so right  
You and I sharing this time together, oh  
Sharing the same dream  
As time goes by, we will find_

_These are the special times  
Times we'll remember  
These are the precious times  
The tender times, we'll hold in our hearts forever  
These are the sweetest times  
These times together  
And through it all one thing will always be true  
The special times are the times I share with you…_

Puck had to sneak out of Rachel's house so his mom wouldn't wake up to find that he did not spend the night at home. Luckily, he only drifted off for a short time before he woke up and realized where he was and where he needed to be. "Rach, wake up, I have to go."

She stirred and opened her eyes. "Hmm?"

"I can go out the window, but you need to close it behind me so you don't freeze. It's really cold."

"No, it's ok. You can go out the front door. Now that my dads are asleep, it would take a lot to wake them."

They headed downstairs, and both of their hearts were pounding at the thought of getting caught. Even though Rachel acted confident in her dads' sleeping habits, her mind was busy at work trying to come up with a reasonable story to tell if one or both of her dads awoke.

Luckily, no story was needed, and they made it to the front door without incident.

Rachel reached up to kiss him softly, and she whispered, "I'm sorry I wasn't quite ready."

"Don't worry about it. We still kick ass together. We'd just really be awesome together if we started doing it." Puck was half-joking. Rachel could tell, and she playfully swatted at him and pushed him out the door.

"Good night," she said firmly, continuing her role in the joke.

"Night. Sweet dreams, baby."

She melted behind the door.  
_  
_…

After Finn read Jacob Ben-Israel's blog about the Winter Dance, he worked up the nerve to call Quinn. Even though he was going to try to be casual, he felt the conversation would work better on the phone than by texting.

"Hey, Quinn. It's Finn." Ugh, bad start already, he thought. Of course she knew it was him.

"Finn, I'm glad you called. We left things badly. I'm sorry about what happened at the dance."

"Do you mean with us or with Rachel and Puck?"

"I guess both."

"Uh, yeah, well thanks. The reason I'm calling is because I just read Jacob's blog. Did you read it?"

"No," she admitted. "I was afraid of what I might see. Since you're calling it must be really bad."

"Yeah, it is." Finn paused. "I thought you might need a friend right now. I don't think I'm ready to go back to how we were yet, but I want to try to be your friend. I think we can both use one."

Quinn's heart leaped, and her throat felt dry when she heard Finn say "yet". But her stomach also dropped in anticipation of what she'd read on that creepy kid's blog.

Finn stayed on the phone with her while she read it. He listened as she looked up "sororitute" on urban dictionary. He was glad she did that because he had no idea what it meant when he'd read the blog, but since it sounded like prostitute he knew it was bad. He could hear the quiver in her voice as she finished reading and his heart broke a little for her. "What are you doing this weekend? Maybe we can hang out, as friends." Finn decided to take a cue from Rachel and emphasize "as friends" until he decided if he was ready to try to be more than friends with his semi-evil but obviously hurting ex-girlfriend.

"I don't have plans except for church on Sunday. I'd love to do something together, Finn." Quinn said sincerely. "Thanks."

Quinn pondered her feelings for Finn after he hung up the phone. She felt guilty for her behavior with Puck after the dance. She had wanted to keep making out in a more comfortable place than his truck, she reasoned, hence her question about going to his house. But deep down she knew that she had been feeling sorry for herself for Finn's rejection, and she probably would have had sex with Puck if he had been willing and taken her back to his place. Still, her brain and her heart told her that Finn was the one she really wanted to be with, that she and Puck didn't quite work together. With Finn she had felt sweetness and security constantly (during the good times), but she had only seen occasional glimpses of that when she had been with Puck. She also knew that Puck wouldn't want anyone to know what had happened between them after the dance since he was obviously into Rachel now (again). And Quinn certainly didn't want anyone finding out and ruining any chance she might have with Finn, so the secret was safe.  
…

Finn and Quinn decided to go Christmas shopping at the mall. Finn called it their "friend date", integrating Rachel's term into his vocabulary. Quinn and Finn felt pretty comfortable together, looking for gifts for Finn's mom and Quinn's older sister.

Brittany and Santana were strolling through the mall with Mike and Matt, and squealed when they saw Quinn with Finn.

"So you're back with Finn? That was some drama at the dance last night." Santana rolled her eyes, but this was actually Santana's version of being friendly.

"So…I kinda thought Finn would leave the dance and have sex with Rachel. You know…'cause he was so jealous of Puck." Brittany tried to whisper to Quinn while allowing Santana to hear.

"Oh, please. Rachel and Finn are both fumbling virgins," Quinn told Brittany and Santana with authority. "Puck will be the one to deflower Rachel, not Finn. He probably got to her right after the dance last night." She immediately regretted that her default setting had been "Bitch", especially within earshot of Finn, but she didn't think he overheard. She was a product of her bitchy mother and Coach Sylvester's encouragement of the Cheerios' superiority complexes. Acting like an icy bitch was a tough habit to break.

Finn, who had been talking to Mike and Matt, turned toward Quinn. "You guys talking about me?" Finn asked with a goofy grin. He noticed the evil grins on all three Cheerios' faces.

"Your Christmas present from Quinn," said Brittany, pleased with herself for such a clever cover.

"Whoa, Quinn, I don't know if we're ready for that yet…" Finn looked concerned.

"Oh, I mean her gift for…Puck?" Brittany phrased it as a question. She wasn't sure what to do to fix her blunder.

"Actually, Brittany," started Quinn. "I meant that I was thinking about buying a gift for Dizzy for Christmas."

Finn's eyes clouded. "Maybe you should discuss this with Puck instead." Then as if he couldn't stand the sight of her, Finn turned and headed to the nearest mall exit.

A single tear slid down Quinn's cheek before she was able compose herself. "Sorry guys." She shrugged. "Finn probably just needs to cool off, but I might need to get a ride with one of you if that's ok."

Brittany hugged her. "Of course. I mean, that's alright, Mike, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sure," said Mike easily. "But I don't think that'll matter. I can see Finn coming back here already."

Quinn spun around, and sure enough, Finn was trudging back like a child who knows he did something wrong.

"Sorry I was a jerk," Finn said sheepishly.

"I'm sorry too," said Quinn, as she gave him a hug.

"I really do want to be friends," said Finn.

"Me too."

…

Puck called Rachel Saturday morning. "Hey, I have to take the kid sledding today. Wanna come?"

"I don't know…is it kind of a brother-sister bonding thing for you? Besides, I haven't been sledding since I don't know when." In reality, Rachel hated the cold weather and the idea of going outside to get cold and wet on purpose was distinctly unappealing, even if it meant spending time with Noah. Still, she was glad he called after she had halted their progress the night before.

"What?! You're missing out, Berry. It's childish but it's fun. You're definitely going. Wear layers. I'll pick you up in 30."

He hung up before she could protest. So she dutifully began looking through her clothes for the appropriate outfit. Rachel's dads seemed happy about her plans to go sledding. Of course, she just said that she was going with friends from glee club. They said she should invite them over for hot cocoa afterwards to warm up. She smiled and said she would invite them. Then she headed out the door when she heard a familiar truck approach.

Rachel climbed into the cab of the truck, prompting Puck's sister to scoot to the middle seat. "Hi, guys," Rachel smiled at the young girl. "So, where are we going sledding?"

"Elementary school hill. It's pretty big, but I think we can handle it, right kiddo?" He elbowed his little sister lightly.

She grinned up at him adoringly. "Definitely!" Then she turned to Rachel. "Noah said you haven't been sledding in a long time. It'll be great. We'll show you." Sarah Puckerman liked the idea of having more experience in something than someone her brother's age. And she wanted to pass along her sledding wisdom.

"Yes, thank you, Sarah. I'm looking forward to it," said Rachel primly. Sarah looked at her brother and they shared a surprisingly similar smirk.

When they arrived at the school parking lot, Rachel was surprised to see how many people had the same idea. As if reading her expression, Puck said, "Yeah, if you had a little sister like I do, you'd know that all the kids come here after we've had a good snow." He took the opportunity to pull Sarah's hat down over her eyes. She responded indignantly with a scowl, but that was followed by the same adoring grin she seemed to grace her brother with quite often.

It was a perfect day for sledding. The wind wasn't blowing, so even though it was freezing outside, Rachel didn't feel cold. Especially once the sledding started.

"Since you're out of practice, Rachel, you can watch me and Noah a few times," Sarah said, enjoying being bossy. Rachel nodded, and they all walked to the top of the hill together. At first Rachel felt like a weird third wheel, but she actually enjoyed watching Noah interact in such a sweet way with his little sister. He'd sled with her down the hill, and they'd have little snowball fights on the way back up the hill. Then it was Rachel's turn.

"Sarah, I'm going to sled down with Rachel once, so she can get the hang of it. You stay right here in this spot, don't move." Sarah narrowed her eyes at his tone, but she nodded reluctantly.

"Oh, that's ok. I'm happy just watching." Rachel didn't want to spoil Sarah's fun.

"Don't be ridiculous. I didn't invite you here to watch us. You have to try it. C'mon, I'll be guiding the sled. You'll have fun." Puck had grabbed Rachel by the shoulders, and the charming look he gave her was hard to resist. She didn't have time to resist because he used his leverage to bring her down with him as he sat on the sled. He arranged her so that she was sitting between his legs in front of him. He held her close and prepared to steer with his feet.

"Alright, hold on tight!" he said into her ear. As they raced down the hill, Rachel decided that sledding _was_ pretty fun. Suddenly she was tilting to the right and Noah was falling on top of her. Rachel was on her back in the snow with Noah laughing down at her. "Well, how was it?" He smiled so beautifully.

"I loved it!" Rachel exclaimed. She looked into his hazel eyes, and she knew she loved him. She'd be an idiot not to be madly in love with him. His eyes were overwhelmingly green, though often they looked more brown from a distance. Now Rachel could see there were tiny specks of gold and even hints of blue that fascinated her. The air between them seemed to crackle with electricity. She pulled him down and kissed him deeply. "God, I love you," she breathed. She blushed immediately after her confession and searched his eyes. Noah, in return, looked at her first with surprise but then so softly, and he kissed her with such voraciousness that Rachel felt satisfied that even if he couldn't respond with the same words, his feelings for her were true enough. Rachel didn't feel like she made the wrong decision last night after the dance, but she had an overwhelming urge to try to get it _right_. "New Year's Eve," she whispered to him as she leaned up to reach his ear.

"What?" This time Puck practically froze.

In pure Rachel Berry fashion, she began explaining. "I haven't worked it out yet, but I've decided that I want to be with you. You know, finish what I stopped us from doing before. And I think that New Year's Eve would be a perfect time. I just haven't figured out exactly what I'll tell my dads and what we'll do to be alone that night."

Puck felt his eyes widen and his heart beat faster. When he realized his mouth was gaping open, he closed it and tried to be cool. "Don't mess with me here, Berry. Did you just say what I think you said?"

"Yes. And don't make me repeat it." Puck grinned, picked Rachel up and swung her around, and pulled her back down into the snow with him, where they continued devouring each other happily.

Sarah had witnessed the disgusting display, and came running down the hill. She broke up the pair in the snow by hurling snowballs at them and shouting, "Gross!" and "That's sickening!", followed by retching sounds.

Noah broke the kiss with a grin and pulled Rachel to her feet. "Alright already! We're sorry, kid! Lay off the snowballs."

"I apologize, Sarah. The excitement of sledding went to my head."

Puck whispered, "I don't think your head's where the excitement went." Rachel blushed again and walked a little faster ahead of Noah.

…

Tina Cohen-Chang had the displeasure of seeing Puck and Rachel's make out sessions. She had a little brother with whom she was sledding, and unfortunately they had been sledding nearby. Tina had noticed Puck and his sister, but figured he wouldn't notice her.

He didn't. And that was how she preferred it. Actually several winters in a row she had taken her little brother sledding at the same time that Puck had taken his sister, and never had he acknowledged her existence as a classmate. After they had been in glee together, she thought that maybe he'd notice and say something, but he never did. And Tina certainly wasn't going to bring attention to herself. Although some would think that her blue hair and goth clothes drew attention, she dressed the way she did because it seemed to keep people away and freak her parents out a little. She also just liked the look, but in general, Tina liked to keep to herself.

Today, when she saw Rachel writhing under Puck at the bottom of the hill…in front of all of the little kids…Tina couldn't help but feel a bit upset. Very inappropriate behavior. She could just imagine her mother and father shaking their heads disapprovingly. Not that she agreed with her parents' old-fashioned values all the time, but that kind of PDA was nauseating. Then again, if she could do such a thing with a boyfriend of her own, she knew she would have enjoyed such a moment, so Tina couldn't help it when a small smile broke across her serious face. And to her own shock, she gave a little wave to Rachel when she saw her walking up the hill. Rachel blushed and waved back. Then Rachel turned to Puck, said something, and even he gave a small salute-like wave.

Tina felt some satisfaction that she had witnessed Puck and Rachel together after the drama of the Winter Dance. She was excited that she'd have a reason to share some gossip later that day. Tina was shy by nature, but being a part of glee club helped her start to enjoy socializing and opening up to people. And having a bit of gossip to share was one of the easiest ways she knew to get involved in socializing. She was quite surprised when Rachel continued to walk in her direction and began to talk to her. They weren't not friends, if that makes sense. But they didn't really hang out outside of glee-related activities.

"Tina, hello!" started Rachel. "It's nice to see you. So you have a little brother?"

"Yes, this is Benny," Tina gestured to her brother.

"This is Sarah Puckerman," said Rachel. "Oh, I should have let you introduce her," she said to Puck.

"I can introduce myself!" exclaimed Sarah, as she stepped forward to shake Benny's hand. Everyone smiled at how spunky Sarah was. Puck was sorta proud of her sometimes. Other times she was the bane of his existence.

"Tina, my dads said I could invite some people over after sledding for hot cocoa. Would you and Benny like to come?" Puck didn't know what Rachel was doing, and he gave her a look that said so. Rachel returned a glare that told him to keep quiet. So he did. He knew by now not to mess with Berry when she set her mind to something, and while he didn't know what she was doing, Puck knew that Rachel was working some kind of angle. That girl was crazy but sometimes it was in an awesome way. So he'd let her do her thing.

With Benny's permission, they all agreed to sled a few more times before coming in from the cold to have cocoa at Rachel's. Tina thought it was weird, but hot chocolate sounded like a nice way to warm up, and it certainly would be another interesting story to tell. She smiled when she thought of how Kurt would react and how jealous he would be that she was the one who got invited to crash Puck and Rachel's babysitting date.

While they were driving, with Tina following Puck, he asked Rachel what she was up to. "What I'm up to is making friends." Then she glanced from Puck to Sarah and back to try to tell him that she wasn't going to spill everything because of their audience. "I expect that Tina or Mercedes or Kurt might have a party on New Year's Eve. And I might be invited. And if my dads start meeting these friends outside of my Thanksgiving get-together, they might allow me to spend the night at one of these friend's houses. Do you see?"

He knew she had some reason—that girl always pulled these complicated plans out of her ass. He smirked at his thoughts. She does have a fine ass, he thought seriously. "Yeah, cool. I definitely approve."

"I thought you would."

…

Jacob Ben-Israel was not a popular boy, but his blog was highly read for its gossip, and so he took some comfort in the fact that he was well-known for something. It helped make high school somewhat bearable for him, and he knew that without his blog, he would have been worse than nothing, he would have been a victim of merciless bullying and teasing. With his blog, he had some leverage, so although he had been threatened with violence, nothing came of the threats. He was very pleased that the whole school seemed to be talking about his latest entry from the weekend.

Neither Rachel nor Puck had even checked the infamous blog before Monday morning. They were both too excited about their upcoming plans, still weeks away, to be alone on New Year's Eve. Rachel briefly thought about how their little scene at the dance might be interpreted at school, but she didn't find it necessary to devise a plan of how to act besides "normal", which to Rachel and Puck meant acting as if they were barely friends, but nothing more. Surely if they didn't act like a couple, the gossips at McKinley High would have less to speculate about regarding the Finn-Rachel-Puck-Quinn love square.

But even though Rachel and Puck were never together in the halls throughout the day, both saw unusual glances, whispers, and pointing. It was even a bit more than Rachel normally experienced. And certainly Puck hadn't experienced this lately since the baby daddy drama had become old news.

Puck received comments like "Slummin' it now, Puckerman?" and "That glee freak has a tight little body, but it still seems like a step down, man." Puck was boiling inside, but he didn't want to confirm anything since it was Rachel who had made a big deal out of being in a _secret_ relationship. On top of that, he was paralyzed with indecision. He hated not knowing what to do. He didn't like the feeling that he needed to ask Rachel what he should do. He felt that way not because she ruled his life, but because he felt desperate for her opinion. His awareness of that fact totally sucked, but it didn't make it less true. Since he couldn't decide on the right words, he resorted to violence, and the magnitude of his response depended on the presence of teachers nearby.

If anything, girls were jealous of Rachel. But jealous girls can be vicious. The mildest insult Rachel received was "slut". Rachel decided to find the bright side of this situation. The relationship appeared to be "outed". Even if nobody in school knew exactly what their relationship was, people seemed to know that there was something between them. And certainly Finn already knew, and he had been her biggest concern. So Rachel decided that there was no need to hide anymore. No need to allow a friendship to gracefully emerge to be slowly replaced by the boyfriend-girlfriend status she hoped the two of them had (even if it was unspoken). She and Noah should just act however they felt comfortable acting in school, without concern for easing everyone into the idea. It was too late for "easing".

Before lunch, Rachel spotted Tina in the halls and tried to catch up to her without calling too much attention to herself (for Tina's sake, since Rachel was presently the biggest social pariah of the week). "My dads really enjoyed meeting you this weekend, Tina. They're happy to see when I display the actions of a normal teenage girl." Rachel admitted. "I think it would be fun to have a sleepover this coming weekend, or even just a study session this week for finals. I'd invite Mercedes, and probably Kurt, if we do the sleepover idea."

Tina stared at Rachel in shock. The idea of having cocoa with the Berrys and the Puckerman duo had been mind-blowing, but it was actually a welcome change for Tina and her little brother and surprisingly enjoyable. Tina had expected it to be a fluke, a weird wrinkle in the fabric of the universe. But she found herself nodding along to Rachel's invitation. "That sounds fun."

"Which do you prefer, study session or sleepover?" Rachel inquired.

"Why not both?" Tina and Rachel both looked surprised at Tina's response. But Rachel's surprise turned into a glowing smile, and Tina couldn't help but smile back.

"Yes, why not?! I'll talk to others and we'll come up with some scheduling possibilities." Rachel flounced off to her next class. Tina marveled at the exchange that just took place.

Later that day, Rachel walked into glee rehearsal, passing her usual seat next to Kurt, and gracefully took a seat next to Puck in the back of the room. He raised one eyebrow and leaned over to whisper, "I wasn't sure how we were going to do this."

"Neither was I, but I'm a master improviser."

"Is there anything you're not a master of?" he smirked.

"There are a few things that I think I could learn from you, for example…" she whispered slyly.

"Stop right there, Berry. It's an innuendo. You don't have to explain the details. I'll take things there even if you don't mean them that way. Do you really want to tease me like that? Do you want me to tear off your clothes right here in class?"

She made a show of pondering this suggestion. "Maybe…"

"You're torturing me here!" Puck clutched his heart dramatically, leaning back in his chair.

The gleeful couple was suddenly aware of the others in the room when Kurt piped up, "Aaah! My ears! My eyes! Stop being so disgustingly cute! Shove that relationship back into the closet, please!"

Everyone laughed except for Quinn and Finn. Quinn gave Puck and Rachel a glare and told them telepathically to stop making things worse for Finn. Rachel blushed as she glanced at Finn and saw that he looked a little sickened. Santana looked sickened too, but she often had that look, so that didn't faze Rachel.

Mr. Schue was ready to start rehearsal. "Hey guys, glad to see you're all in good spirits. The Winter Concert is coming up, so we have to make sure everything's perfect!"

Artie noticed Tina's knowing smile. "What's up with you?" he whispered. Artie usually seemed rather laid-back, but he always noticed the slightest changes in Tina's behavior.

"I think I'm going to be friends with Rachel Berry," Tina said as Artie shook his head in disbelief. She continued, "And I think I'm happy for her and Puck."

Artie reached up and felt her forehead for signs of fever. "To borrow some dated vernacular… Girl, are you trippin'?!"

Mercedes and Kurt both narrowed their eyes at Artie's exclamation. There was obviously some gossip to be had that they were not privy to at the moment. From their spots on the risers, they looked at each other and decided that they would remedy the situation and fill in their knowledge gaps after rehearsal.

…

**Winter Concert, Junior Year**

The weeks after Thanksgiving leading up to the Winter Concert had been a haze of rehearsals and studying for finals for most of the kids in glee club. Junior year was an important one for the academically inclined, and it was important for all of the jocks in glee club to perform well on and off the playing field. Standardized tests, college applications, in addition to the usual high school happenings made for a stressful time of year. And on top of all of this, Puck and Rachel were trying to figure out exactly how they were going to manage being alone for at least a reasonable period of time on New Year's Eve so that Rachel could have the kind of moment she deserved—and that Puck desperately wanted to give her (for more reasons than he cared to admit). But the Winter Concert was held a few days before Winter (Christmas) Break, and it was a fun event that most of the glee clubbers looked forward to—to take their minds off the more stressful aspects of being high school juniors.

The first act with "Maybe I'm Amazed" was a crowd-pleaser, as Will had predicted. He was especially pleased by Puck's performance with Rachel. Will was proud that Noah Puckerman had grown so much as a performer over the past year under his guidance. He had a feeling that Rachel Berry may have contributed, but Will didn't like to get involved with student dramas, especially after last year, so he tried not to think about it. He was looking forward to the finale in which all of the choirs ("New Directions" and the freshman choir, "Beginnings"), bands, and orchestra ensembles collaborated on a swing version of "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!".

With the opening strains of the music, it was clear to the audience that the students with less experience would be doing relatively simple dance steps (the experts in the audience could detect some basic moves of the Lindy Hop), while the show choir kids were already putting on a show with a series of swingouts and aerials.

Girls:_ Oh the weather outside is frightful,  
_Boys:_ But the fire is so delightful,  
_All:_ And since we've no place to go,  
_All: _Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!  
_  
Even though they were never swing partners, Puck and Rachel continually exchanged glances during their spin moves in the dance. Puck thought that the singing and dancing was pretty lame, but it was a kinda hot to watch Rachel get so into it.

Girls:_ It doesn't show signs of stopping,  
_Boys:_ And I've bought some corn for popping,  
_All:_ The lights are turned way down low,  
_All:_ Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!_

Plus, Rachel was glistening with the lightest film of sweat, and while Puck knew enough about Rachel to know that she would fear that she looked gross, it reminded Puck of sex. And the anticipation of having sex with Rachel was stronger than anything he had felt when trying to get into any girl's pants. He had stopped asking himself "why Rachel Berry?" a while ago. Now he just went with it. She picked him and (God help him) he was glad she did.

Girls:_ When we finally kiss goodnight,  
_Boys:_ How I'll hate going out in the storm!  
_All:_ But if you'll really hold me tight,  
_All:_ All the way home I'll be warm.  
_  
Rachel had to concentrate to get through the finale song and dance number. Usually such routines were a breeze and she focused solely on her performances because that's what she enjoyed doing. But she found that she very much enjoyed watching Noah singing and dancing so vibrantly before an audience, even if his partners alternated between Mercedes and Quinn. They had plenty of rehearsals, so this was no surprise. And Rachel wasn't even uncomfortable seeing Quinn with Noah (for the most part). Her own partners alternated between Kurt and one of the sophomores, Jason. She looked at them as appropriate for the dance move, but she couldn't help stealing glances at Noah. Her beautiful Noah. And she was exceedingly happy that he seemed just as enamored with her. Rachel hoped that she didn't look too gross and sweaty. _  
_

Girls:_ The fire is slowly dying,  
_Boys:_ And, my dear, we're still good-byeing,  
_All:_ But as long as you love me so,  
_All:_ Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! _

When the curtain fell to raucous applause, Rachel couldn't keep herself from running into Noah's arms. He stumbled a little, caught off guard, but he chuckled and spun her around. And he knew that if it were possible that at age 17 Noah Puckerman could be in love, then he was in love with Rachel Berry. He couldn't wait for New Year's Eve! And in that moment of self-awareness, Noah Puckerman was simultaneously elated, excited, and scared shitless.

**…**

**A.N.** I'm preparing for hate mail for this chapter (for Rachel's postponement of their activities, among other things). But I hope that at least for some of you this story has a mix of things that are mostly fun/entertaining to read. I had a darker story idea for Quinn and Finn that some discussion with **LizzayMartini** helped remove (at least from this story for now). I'm a bit behind on the timeline as far as matching up with holidays in real time. But next up will be Winter Break, including New Year's Eve! And looming in the background is Puck and Quinn's make out mistake from the Winter Dance that will come into play later in this story. I welcome your concerns, criticisms, and suggestions (in addition to things that you liked so far)!


	12. This Magic Moment

**A.N. ** First, there is an **M-rated section** in this chapter, during Rachel and Puck's moment on New Year's Eve. Please skip over this (where I have indicated) if you are young or do not like such scenes. Know that all turned out lovely and only slightly uncomfortable. Thanks to **Chrpangel** for suggesting Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" and **Alimard** for suggesting Celine Dion's "Love Doesn't Ask Why". Thanks to **Lightning Struck**,who may have been half-joking, but still mentioned the issue of safe sex, so I brought this up in this chapter. I received some other song suggestions that I'm saving for later, but thanks to everyone for the continued feedback and suggestions!

**Disclaimer: ** I don't own Glee or any songs.

**…**

**December, Junior Year**

As they were all leaving from the Winter Concert, Rachel invited Tina, Artie, Mercedes, and Kurt to her house for a study session for their Trigonometry final that week. When Finn asked why he wasn't invited, Rachel reminded him that he wasn't in Trig. Finn managed to look relieved and dejected at the same time. Puck didn't ask why he wasn't invited to the study session. He wasn't in Trig either. (Math was for pussies so he took the minimum requirements and wasn't worried about taking AP Calculus his senior year like Rachel was). But Puck knew that this study session was part of Rachel's plan to allow her dads to see her around some wholesome friends so that they wouldn't be too suspicious when Rachel had plans for New Year's Eve. The time that Rachel spent on the study session instead of hanging with him was a sacrifice he was willing to make for the greater good. (Sex = greater good. That was good math right there.)

"Rachel, I couldn't help but overhear that you're having a study session for Trig," said Quinn. "I wonder if you would mind if I join you?"

Rachel was surprised but polite as usual. "Of course, Quinn. You are more than welcome to join us. I must have forgotten that you're in Trig too since you don't take it second period with us."

Quinn nodded even though she didn't think that was the reason she wasn't invited. "Thanks. See you then."

After Quinn departed, Kurt faced the remaining members of the future study group. "Ok, then we need to meet at Rachel's house like an hour early so we can have a gossip session before Quinn arrives."

"What on earth…?" started Rachel, shocked again.

"Obviously, we all want to talk about what's up with you and the beefcake. And that would probably be all kinds of awkward for Miss Quinn. So we'll see you right after school on Monday." The rest of the gleeks nodded in agreement, leaving Rachel gaping and wondering what she had gotten herself into.

"What's a beefcake? Am I the beefcake?" Puck asked Rachel after the rest of the gleeks departed. "You always take the prize, Berry, but Hummel's a close second for saying nonsense that shouldn't be said by a seventeen-year-old human," he lamented. "Is this more SAT-prep crap?"

"I don't think you have to worry about knowing the term 'beefcake' to get into college," Rachel said, patting his arm absently.

…

Puck and Rachel spent the weekend studying for finals and distracting each other. Mostly this took place at Puck's house since Rachel wanted to reduce the amount of time she spent in front of her dads with her new boyfriend so her plans to be alone with him on New Year's Eve would be less difficult to implement. Puck was anxious for their New Year's Eve plans, which caused him to have trouble keeping his hands to himself. Rachel was anxious, but in a different way. After smacking his hands away at one point, she spoke up.

"I've been doing some reading, and I realize that I've been grossly negligent in protection against sexually transmitted diseases. There are things I should ask you, things we should have been doing, even before we have intercourse."

"Berry, speak like a seventeen-year-old human, remember?" Puck said with a hint of frustration. "You know I'd never put you at risk, right? I took a shitload of tests when Quinn was pregnant. I'm clean, baby."

"But that was a while ago. While I believe you're more experienced than I am and would have more knowledge of safe practices, I think it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Yeah, six months of monogamy is the standard before, you know… I've been with you, and you only, for the past four months, almost five and before that, only Quinn. And if you really want to stretch it, just before that I was with one of my 'clients', and I'm sure she was monogamous with her husband."

Rachel hid her disappointment to hear that Puck really had been with Quinn while they had lived together. She knew it had to be true that they hadn't only had sex the one time, but hearing the confirmation stung a bit. On the bright side, he confirmed that he really had only been fooling around with her since they started their secret relationship at the beginning of junior year, and that's all that should really matter to her emotionally. Still, she had a few concerns about safety.

"Monogamous, really? Except that this woman was sleeping with the pool boy. Couldn't there have been others like you?"

"Honestly, Berry, how many guys like me do you think there are in Lima? And remember, I tested clean after that." Puck saw the disgust wrinkle Rachel's nose before she nodded resignedly, so he quickly added, " But I will get tested again, don't worry."

"Thanks. Let's never speak of this again." Rachel shuddered at the thoughts of the cougars and Cheerios that lurked in the more distant past.

"Agreed."

They turned to their books for several minutes of awkward silence before Rachel spoke up, "Kissing counts too, right? As a risk factor?"

"I guess…for some things…why?" Puck was getting nervous.

"Well, then maybe I will go with you to be tested, just in case."

"What? Who have you been kissing, Berry?" Puck was sitting up on his bed now, no longer casually propped up over his Spanish book.

"Please, _you're_ upset with _me_ about having kissed a few boys in the past, given your history?"

Puck scoffed. "But seriously, what guys, and when did you kiss them?"

"No, you're right. It was last year. I would have symptoms by now, so it's not important."

"Ok, number one, you should go with me, just in case. Not that I don't think I'm clean. But just in case," he repeated. "And second, so one of them is Finn. I knew that. Who else?" (Not that knowing Finn had kissed Rachel didn't sting a little. It did.)

"Honestly, this is ridiculous, but putting you out of your misery will put me out of mine." Rachel was exasperated.

"That's right," said Puck triumphantly.

"Do you remember the male lead from Vocal Adrenaline?"

"You kissed our competition?! Who knows where he's been!"

"Well, we know one place…" Rachel said slyly.

"Oh, hell, Berry! Why do you always torture me?" She was hurting his brain. His brain!

"You know you love it…" Rachel crawled across the bed towards him.

"God help me." The things this girl said!

Apparently neither was too concerned about postponing their make out sessions until after their visit to the clinic. And as expected, both would later receive clean bills of health.

…

Monday, Rachel was nervous and excited to have friends to her house for their study session. She wouldn't have been so nervous if it hadn't been for Kurt insisting on a gossip session before Quinn arrived. Rachel now wished she had just invited Tina because she had a feeling that without the others around, she and Tina might be able to become good friends. But really she hoped she could be good friends with all of the gleeks, eventually. At glee, Mr. Schue announced that they would need to start thinking about their non-holiday-themed competition songs when they returned from Winter Break, so they didn't do much in rehearsal. They practiced "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Times Like These", but Mr. Schue said he'd end rehearsals early every day that week so that everyone could study for finals and stay academically eligible. The school day flew by, and before she knew it she was kissing her boyfriend goodbye for the day and heading home alone to prepare for her guests. (She had to have snacks and beverages on hand. Obviously.)

Tina, Mercedes, Kurt, and Artie (driven by his dad) showed up soon after Rachel arrived home. They appeared to be in rare form and ready for gossiping. Once they settled at the dining room table, Mercedes started in, "Ok, girl, spill."

Rachel looked like a deer caught in headlights. "What do you want me to say?" she squeaked.

"Tell us everything! Well, everything you can fit in the next hour before Quinn gets here," commanded Kurt.

"Are you two dating now?" Tina asked to get the conversation going. So Rachel started describing a bit about how the pair had gotten together and grown closer, leaving out most of the juicy or embarrassing details. But as everyone seemed to be captivated by her stories and actually enjoying themselves, she started to enjoy herself too. And then the juiciest detail slipped out.

"We're planning to have sex on New Year's Eve." Rachel immediately regretted her confession, which was met by stunned silence and gaping mouths.

"Wait, you mean you two haven't done it already?!" Kurt asked incredulously. "I figured that Puck would take off his shirt, you'd drop your panties, and the deal would be sealed immediately."

"Kurt!" Rachel shrieked. She shoved him, hard. She wasn't joking around. Kurt tumbled off his chair a little into Mercedes. "Watch it, girl," warned Mercedes, "don't you mess with my man Kurt."

"I apologize, but he deserved it for thinking so poorly of me and my virtue."

"What?" asked Kurt wide-eyed. That's what I'd do if I were in Rachel's shoes, he thought. Kurt might not think much of Puck's personality, but he couldn't deny that the guy was a magnificent male specimen.

"Kurt, that's highly in appropriate," admonished Rachel.

"What, did I just say that out loud?" Kurt panicked.

"No, but remember when I said I'm a little psychic…" said Rachel.

"C'mon, Rachel," said Mercedes, rolling her eyes. "It was obvious what you were thinking Kurt, just by the look on your face. No sixth sense necessary."

Tina and Artie nodded in silent agreement, looking uncomfortable. Kurt let out a relieved sigh. At least Rachel wasn't really psychic.

"Are you nervous?" asked Tina. "Do you think it will hurt?"

"I am a little nervous," Rachel admitted. "Noah already explained that it might hurt a little, and I've read some articles on the subject."

Everyone looked disgusted and a few of the kids let out audible groans.

"But I'm sure it will be wonderful over all," Rachel continued, "and will be a fulfilling addition to our relationship. And Noah seems to excel at _everything_, so I'm confident that I'm making the right choice."

"Wow," said Artie, "I'm disgusted, jealous, and in awe at the same time." Tina elbowed him. In truth, she felt the same way, but she didn't want to hurt Rachel's feelings.

"That's great, Rachel. I'm happy for you." Tina smiled.

"Thank you, Tina."

"Hey, I said I'm 'in awe' too," said Artie defensively.

"Girl, you have just become the best source of dish!" gushed Mercedes. She kind of looked forward to living vicariously through Rachel's escapades—who'd have thought?

"Um, thank you?" said Rachel. "I guess I can tell you that the only difficulty with the plan is finding a way to be alone for some reasonable amount of time on New Year's Eve. My dads certainly wouldn't let me go to Noah's house alone, nor would they let me go to a drinking party. I was kind of hoping that maybe one of you would be planning a gathering. And I would definitely go, of course, and then meet Noah at Brittany's party afterwards." Rachel decided since they were all being so nice to her, the quickest route would be the direct one, rather than trying to manipulate someone into having a supervised party and inviting her. There was no way her dads would let her go to Brittany's party. Brittany's older brother was a known trouble-maker. And her dads always contacted the adult in charge. At Brittany's, there would be no adult in charge.

Kurt immediately volunteered to host the party which would be Rachel's cover story. "I feel so devious," he said, rubbing his palms together with an evil laugh.

"Oh, thank you, Kurt!" Rachel exclaimed as she threw her arms around him.

"What are friends for?" Kurt said nonchalantly. But Rachel's heart warmed at his response.

Their gossip session ended at the sound of the doorbell announcing Quinn's arrival. Quinn tried to ignore the fact that everyone had arrived before she had, and she was five minutes early. After some tense moments, the study session actually went smoothly. When Rachel's dads came home from work around 6pm, they were pleased to find Rachel interacting with this lovely group of kids from the glee club, all of whom took Trigonometry. Rachel was pleased to notice that they had noticed.

After they completed reviews of all of the chapters, Quinn made no move to leave, so the rest of the glee kids began to depart once Artie's dad arrived to pick him up. They sensed that Quinn wanted to talk to Rachel alone.

"Rachel, do you mind if I talk to you about something?" Quinn asked.

"Sure, of course, Quinn." Rachel was curious.

"It's something that came up at the Winter Dance," Quinn started. "After the dance, Puck and I talked about you a little. This may be weird for you, but Puck thought that you might be able to help me."

"Really, you two talked about me?"

Quinn pursed her lips and nodded. She knew this was dangerous territory, but it seemed clear that Puck hadn't confessed to their make out session, and Quinn was glad. "He thought that you might be able to help me re-establish a friendship with Finn. I'm trying, but I'm not sure it's working. And it would be nice if Puck and Finn could be friends again too, don't you think?"

Rachel did think that would be nice. She felt a little ashamed that she had slacked off on her plan to reunite Finn with Noah. She just enjoyed his company so much, she reasoned that she had just been waiting until she had a chance to enjoy having a (not-so-secret) boyfriend long enough before she started planning how to add friends to Noah's life. "Quinn, I'm glad you came to me. I would love to help you. I'm quite busy over the holidays. I'm going out of town to visit my grandmother for Christmas. But we could brainstorm individually, and when I get back, we could meet and discuss ideas."

Quinn smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Rachel. Good luck on your finals."

"Thanks, you too." Alone now, Rachel was overcome by a sense of happiness for burgeoning friendships.

…

Normally Rachel loved the yearly tradition of spending the Christmas holiday with her grandmother in Cincinnati. She loved singing in the church choir for the Christmas production, and she got a lot of attention as the only half-Jewish daughter of two gay men, but it was always wonderful attention by the members of the congregation, not the hateful kind of attention. She didn't visit her Jewish relatives this winter because she had been in school during those celebrations, but she was always out of school to spend Christmas with her rambunctious Jesus-loving relatives. And they weren't like the Fabrays who condemned her fathers' lifestyle, at least not openly. Her dad's family was accepting of his choice, at least now. She wasn't sure if they'd been comfortable at first, but they had been a big happy family for as long as she could remember. This year, however, being apart from her new boyfriend was torture, and being the center of attention did not make up for it. And during the drive, she realized with horror that her grandmother didn't have internet access (!).

Rachel thanked God when she discovered a neighbor had an unsecured wireless network that she could connect to from her laptop. While she could still text and call Noah, she had planned to post a new MySpace video for him. Now she still could. Rachel didn't dress provocatively, but she dressed up and made sure her hair and makeup were nicely done. She wasn't exactly afraid that Noah would cheat on her with Quinn, but she had this nagging feeling that he would always be comparing her to Quinn. That made her very nervous for their big moment, for her first time. But she tried to push those thoughts out of her mind. She was with Noah now, Quinn wasn't. Quinn was interested in Finn again. Rachel took a few deep breaths to prepare herself for the song that she thought was appropriate for her feelings and that had a message that Noah would understand. Maybe all of the lyrics weren't quite perfect, but most were pretty fitting for the triangle of Rachel-Puck-Quinn. She set up her camera and sang her heart out to Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me".

_You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset  
She's going off about something that you said  
'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do_

_I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night  
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like  
And she'll never know your story like I do_

_But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts  
She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find  
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along, so why can't you see?  
__**You, you belong with me, you belong with me**_

_Walking the streets with you and your worn-out jeans  
I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be  
Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself  
Hey, isn't this easy?_

_And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town  
I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down  
You say you're fine, I know you better than that  
Hey, what ya doing with a girl like that?_

_She wears high heels, I wear sneakers  
She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find  
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along, so why can't you see?  
You belong with me_

_Standing by and waiting at your back door  
All this time how could you not know?  
__**Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me**_

Suddenly Grandma Desirae burst into the guest room where Rachel was singing. Luckily Rachel had reached a break, and she felt she had enough that she didn't have to continue the rest of the song for the meaning to be clear. "Rachel, honey, that was beautiful! Your voice just keeps growin' and growin'!" she said in awe.

"Thanks, Grandma," Rachel smiled. "I'm trying to make a video of me singing that song so that my boyfriend in Lima can see it and know I'm thinking of him."

"Well, isn't that sweet? The things you can do with technology these days!" Then her grandmother added, "Oh, I'm sorry I interrupted!"

"It's ok, Grandma, I just finished."

"Good, because it's time for supper."

Rachel followed her grandmother out of the room. She couldn't wait to finish dinner so she could post her video. It was cheesy, she knew, but she had to express her emotions. She even thought that there was a secret part of Noah that would appreciate it.

There was.

Puck had been checking his phone and computer for updates from Rachel. He didn't know why he was such a girl about it, but he was. And even though Rachel sang that crappy Taylor Swift song, she had done it for him, and so beautifully, that Puck thought it was pretty damn awesome. He kinda liked that she had a stalker streak in her directed towards him (and not the golden boy she used to stalk). Puck was glad New Year's Eve was coming up soon. Christmas break was pretty boring for a Jew without his best girl by his side.

He did have one distraction. Quinn called him and asked if he wanted to go with her to buy a Christmas present for baby Dizzy. "We don't have to visit her again," Quinn said quickly. "I know we agreed with the Harris' to have one holiday a year. But I was thinking maybe we could mail it. And another later for her birthday."

Puck agreed easily. They searched the mall, debating between a teddy bear and a dress, and decided to get both. Nothing was too good for their little girl. And Puck and Quinn were completely platonic (nice vocab word, right?) during their shopping trip. No hand-holding, no hugs, nothing. Seriously, they could have been a pair of really good looking siblings. So neither Puck nor Quinn thought anything about their public appearance at the mall.

…

**New Year's Eve, Junior Year**

Mr. Berry called Mr. Hummel to confirm what his daughter told him—that she would be spending New Year's Eve with Kurt Hummel and a few other girls from the glee club, namely Tina and Mercedes. Burt Hummel knew he should be relieved that his son was having a New Year's Eve party with a bunch of girls from the glee club he rattled on about so much. Relieved that his son would be hanging around a bunch of girls because it was equivalent to a single-sex party. It still freaked him out to think of his son as interested in sex, but mostly because Kurt was interested in sex with boys. "You sure that friend of yours, Alex, isn't coming over?"

"Yes, Dad. I'm sure. He lives miles away. We're like penpals." Kurt assured his father in terms he thought his dad would understand. "We're just having a casual night with some of the kids from glee."

"And are you inviting everyone from the glee club or just the girls? I just told Mr. Berry it was the girls."

"Well, I invited all the others. But I doubt the four sophomores will come. And a lot of the other juniors are jocks, so they'll probably go to a jock party. The confirmed attendees are Rachel, Tina, and Mercedes."

"Hmm. Why aren't you going to a jock party? You're part of the football team, right?"

Hey, if his dad suggested it, then why shouldn't he go? "Thanks, that's a good idea, Dad! I bet we can gather at our house and all go to a party together, then crash here."

Burt realized he had just made things worse than if he'd kept his mouth shut. "But no drinking! You're underage. And I don't want you to wreck the Navigator—I paid a fortune for that and spent all that time fixing it up."

Kurt nodded and smiled. His dad owned his own business, but it wasn't like they were very rich. It's just that Kurt's an only child, so when times were good, his dad spoiled him with great stuff like the Navigator, top-of-line electronics, and Kurt used his earnings from working with his dad to buy fabulous designer clothes. "You can trust me, Dad. And I appreciate all the things you do for me."

Well, how could Burt not feel a little warmth in his chest at that sentiment? He smiled and nodded back at his son before he left the basement. He forgot about the call from Mr. Berry, so he didn't bother to call him back to inform him of the change of plans.

Kurt decided not to tell the girls that they'd be leaving his party to crash Brittany's jock party later that night. It would be easier to convince them if it seemed spontaneous. Kurt took the opportunity to dress with debonair flair appropriate for his first high school New Year's Eve party. When he welcomed his guests, he was a bit disappointed in their comparably casual attire.

"Girls," he lectured, "just because we planned on staying in, doesn't mean you have to dress so emo melancholy. You're all wearing black! I mean, I expected Tina to wear black as usual, but you two?" He eyed Rachel and Mercedes.

"Hey, we look damn good," protested Mercedes, linking arms with the other two girls.

"And I am emo," defended Tina. "Artie's been out of town since Christmas, and he's not coming back until after New Year's Day. I don't have anyone to kiss at midnight." Tina and Artie weren't officially dating, but she knew she could have counted on him for a kiss if he had been there.

"Alas, only Rachel has a true boy-toy to kiss at midnight tonight," said Kurt. "But I graciously volunteer to kiss you, Tina, and you, Mercedes, if you would like."

"Thanks, Kurt," said both girls.

"So… time to gossip about Rachel _with_ Rachel!"

"Thanks a lot, Kurt!" Rachel said indignantly. But she participated willingly since she was actually included and practically the star attraction.

Throughout the gab session focusing on Rachel and Puck, Tina squirmed anxiously. Internally she was debating whether or not to tell Rachel that she saw Puck and Quinn together at the mall last week. Rachel was so excited and nervous enough about tonight, Tina didn't want to ruin it for her by bringing up something that might be negative. Especially since what she saw seemed harmless enough. Tina wasn't sure the friend protocol here. Would Rachel rather know or not? Maybe Rachel already knew. Tina waited for a lull in the conversation.

"I thought I saw Puck at the mall last week. It looked like Christmas shopping, but he's Jewish, right?" There, that was pretty casual, thought Tina.

"Yes, he's Jewish. You probably saw him out with Quinn buying a Christmas present for their daughter."

Tina let out a sigh of relief. Good she knew. "Yeah, that must have been it." And then the conversation turned to the potential awkwardness of the Rachel-Puck-Quinn-Finn situation, much to Rachel's chagrin. Kurt and Mercedes aren't known for the subtlety or social grace, thought Rachel.

…

After eighty minutes of gossiping and snacking, followed by forty minutes of reasoning and persuasion, Kurt convinced them that it made more sense for everyone to go with Rachel to meet up with Puck at Brittany's party early, and that way they'd all get a chance to hang out together before Puck and Rachel left the group. Kurt smiled with evil delight when he talked about that last part. "C'mon, it'll be a nice surprise for your man," Kurt cajoled.

"Fine," Rachel relented, "but I don't think I'm dressed up enough for that party." Rachel looked down at her outfit. She felt she looked appropriate for an evening at Kurt's in her dark skinny jeans tucked into boots, paired with a black cowl neck sweater that showed a hint of her lacy tank top. She was wearing silver jewelry (she had promised Kurt there'd be no pearls), but she knew that most girls would be wearing shiny dresses and short skirts tonight, despite the Ohio cold. Originally, she had agreed to meet Noah at his truck at the stroke of midnight, then he would drive them to his house. It seemed romantic, and they'd both have their alibis for where they had been that night. So she had dressed warmly for the walk to Brittany's and the wait. The lingerie she was wearing underneath all the clothes were the real treat for Noah.

"None of you are dressed appropriately to make a fashion statement," said Kurt with a brush of his hand. He didn't include himself. "No one will care. They're probably already drunk. Live a little!" Kurt took Mercedes and Tina in each hand and tried to hoist them off of the couch. Luckily, they participated so it wasn't too much of a struggle for Kurt.

"Don't you want us to all be together for countdown? Instead of sitting around here while Puck whisks Rachel away?" Kurt continued his campaign.

"I guess since we're all going together, it shouldn't be that bad." Rachel agreed.

"Exactly. I don't know why we didn't think of this in the first place!" said Kurt.

"Because we weren't invited," said Tina pointedly as she plopped back down on the couch.

Kurt waved his hand again. "I'm a football player. Well, I was. And we're all members of the successful McKinley High Glee Club, of which the party's host is also a member. It's just Brittany. We like Brittany, remember?"

Kurt finally got their sorry butts out the door and into his Navigator for their first real New Year's Eve party.

"Ok, have fun kids, but be safe," said Kurt's dad. "I'm going to head down to the pub for the countdown, but I'll be back here by 1am. You better be back here no later than that. What's the town curfew again?"

The kids looked at each other blankly and exchanged shrugs. They honestly didn't know because they had never been out so late before.

"All right, then my curfew for you is 1. Don't be late." And with that, a slightly nervous Burt Hummel headed back inside the house.

…

Even though she wasn't wearing a skimpy dress for the occasion, Puck was pleasantly surprised to see Rachel when she walked into the party in her only slightly revealing sweater and curve-hugging jeans. Rachel was pleased to see that Noah wasn't surrounded by Cheerios, but instead by other jocks (even if it was around the keg). She greeted him with a lingering kiss, staking her claim; which he accepted and raised her an ass-grab in front of the other guys.

"Are you sure you don't want a drink to help you relax a little?" Puck asked her.

"No, I want to remember everything about tonight," she said dreamily.

"Well, I wasn't sayin' you should get plastered," he chuckled. "But I won't drink tonight either," he proclaimed as he guided her away from the keg.

"Really, Noah?" The happiness in her voice was clear.

"Really," he smiled.

"That's good, and not just because underage drinking is illegal. My concern tonight is because based on my reading, I think it might be better if my first time is short and sweet. And alcohol has a tendency to…well, prolong things."

Puck laughed out loud. "Ok, we'll make it short and sweet, just like you," he said, kissing her forehead. "But keep in mind, Berry, I have endurance, stamina. You're talking to a stallion here. It will be a struggle for me to make it quick, but I'm willing to do that just for you. So don't go around talking about how short your first time was, got it?"

It was Rachel's turn to laugh. "We'll just have to make sure there are more chances for you to prove yourself, won't we?" She said it more seductively than she really felt, but just saying it and seeing her man's reaction made her feel sexy, like she really meant her words. She meant them, she was just a little nervous too.

"You bet your sweet ass we will!" Puck said after he had realized he was gaping at Rachel in shock. "What are we waiting for?! Let's get started!" he joked as he lifted her over his shoulder and carried her up the stairs. She laughed and gripped him tightly so she wouldn't fall. When they made it upstairs to the master bedroom and he slid her off of his shoulder, it was as if they had both stopped joking. Their laughs were replaced by kisses and groping. She pushed his body into the door, effectively closing them inside, and he automatically turned the lock behind him. Then on autopilot, he walked her to the king-sized bed, without breaking from their kiss.

As she laid back on the bed, she whispered, "It's almost perfect. Except for the music and vanilla-scented candles."

"What did you say?" Puck asked. "Did you say you want 'vanilla-scented candles'?"

Rachel opened her eyes and looked at him. He was smiling, beaming. Why was he smiling like that? "It's silly," she said, blushing. "I never told you that's what I wanted. It was just a little dream of mine."

"Hey, are you ready to get out of here? Go back to my place?" Puck asked anxiously.

Rachel nodded. Yes, that would be better than defiling Brittany's parents' room, she thought. As they were walking down the stairs, the countdown began. They grinned at each other.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Happy New Year!" The crowd downstairs erupted in cheers, broken by the traditional New Year's kissing. Puck and Rachel followed suit.

"Happy New Year, Rachel Berry."

"Happy New Year, Noah Puckerman."

After a second kiss, Rachel hurried Puck along. "Ok, it's after midnight. I have less than one hour before I have to be back at Kurt's."

"What?! This really will be short and sweet! You gotta tell a guy these things, Berry! Let's go!" He pulled her out the door and practically threw her in his truck.

Kurt, Mercedes, and Tina shared knowing grins as they watched them leave. "Those two didn't hang out with us at all," Mercedes huffed.

"But they didn't hang out with anyone else either," grinned Tina.

"And Finn and Quinn didn't see them, which is probably a good thing," added Kurt. Maybe he wasn't still in love with Finn, but he thought that seeing Puck and Rachel so _together_ on this night of beginnings might have been hard for that lovable lug nut.

…

Puck was vibrating with anticipation—wait, maybe that was just his truck, but still, he was damn excited. Rachel was quiet, so he rubbed her neck and shoulders with his right hand. "Relax, Rach," he said. She closed her eyes and smiled. Then she nodded and gave his leg a light squeeze. She hummed a tune he couldn't name, but she was otherwise quiet. "What's that song?" Puck asked her, hoping that she'd be more Rachel-like instead of so nervous if he could get her to sing.

"This Magic Moment," she said and sang the first few lines softly.

_This magic moment, so different and so new  
Was like any other, until I kissed you  
And then it happened, it took me by surprise  
I knew that you felt it too, by the look in your eyes…  
_

Puck thought he recognized the song now. "Keep going, it sounds familiar," he encouraged. So she continued.

_Sweeter than wine  
Softer than the summer night  
Everything I want, I have  
Whenever I hold you tight_

_This magic moment while your lips are close to mine  
Will last forever, forever till the end of time…_

"It's an old song by The Drifters," she explained. "Pretty sappy, huh?"

"Honestly, yes," Puck deadpanned. "But I'm feeling pretty sappy tonight myself," he grinned. They had reached his house, and he opened the passenger door for her. They held hands as they walked to his front door and into his house. When they reached his bedroom, he asked her to wait while he set up.

"Set up?" she asked. He smiled down at her then closed the door in her face. But it was worth it. When he opened the door, the room didn't look like his shabby sports-inspired bedroom. Well, it did. But there were white candles of various sizes in every possible place. He lit a few of them (in places where he thought they'd be safe from falling clothes and flailing limbs).

"White vanilla-scented candles?" she asked in wonder. "But how did you know?"

"You talk in your sleep," he said smugly. "You must have been dreaming about us."

"I said all that in my sleep?"

"Well, you said 'mmhgrah blahmah', he said with a goofy look, imitating Rachel sleep-talking. "And all I could understand was 'candles'."

It can't always be romance with him, Rachel thought fondly, but she still gave him a little shove for making fun of her.

Then Puck proudly told her about how he had stumbled upon her secret wish. "I went candle shopping. _Candle shopping_, Berry," he emphasized, so she would know his sacrifice. "And I thought white was the best color—romantic, but not too girly like pink, and red ones looked like Christmas. Then the white ones either had no smell, were girly and flowery, or were vanilla. Vanilla was the best—it reminded me of you." He smiled happily.

Rachel threw herself into his arms. "I love you so much," she said as tears shimmered in her eyes.

"Me too, baby, me too. Don't cry," he said sweetly with concern. "Hey, we don't have to do this tonight if you don't want to," Puck said. (Please want to, please want to…) He rubbed her back while she clinged to him tightly.

His response was enough confirmation of his feelings for her. "I want to."

(Yes!) Puck composed himself. "Do you have your mood music?" he asked with a grin. She smiled and pulled out her Ipod.

"Of course." She set up her "falling in love" playlist and welcomed the distraction of the menial task.

… _Begin Mature Scene _…

Puck had his internal clock ticking, so he was ready to get started. He knew they'd spend a lot of time in foreplay, then they should probably spend some time just spooning afterward, and he had to account for driving time to get Rachel back to Kurt's. He decided to set his cell phone alarm while Rachel was setting up her music. Not romantic, but practical. He learned to be practical from Rachel Berry, so maybe it was a little romantic, he thought.

As the familiar strains of Celine Dion's "Love Doesn't Ask Why" began to play, Rachel felt herself relax.

_Love doesn't ask why  
It speaks from the heart  
And never explains  
Don't you know that  
Love doesn't think twice  
It can come all at once  
Or whisper from a distance_

It was time to enjoy this moment. Even if Rachel wasn't beautiful like Quinn (and she had been comparing herself to Quinn for a while now), Noah made her feel wonderful and safe. Maybe they were perfect for each other.

_**Don't ask me if this feeling's right or wrong**__  
It doesn't have to make much sense  
It just has to be this strong  
'Cause when you're in my arms I understand  
We don't try to have a voice  
When our hearts make the choices  
There's no plan  
It's in our hands_

_Love doesn't ask why  
It speaks from the heart  
And never explains  
Don't you know that  
Love doesn't think twice  
It can come all at once  
Or whisper from a distance_

He walked up behind her to massage her shoulders. She tilted her head and leaned back against his chest. "That feels really good," she murmured. When she released her Ipod, he turned her to face him and they began kissing. He was still rubbing her shoulders, and she began mimicking his motions by massaging his shoulders, then down the length of his arms and back across his chest, working her way to the buttons of his shirt.

_  
__**Now I can feel what you're afraid to say**__  
If you give your soul to me  
Will you give too much away?  
We can't let this moment pass us by  
Can't question this chance  
Or expect any answers  
We can try  
But love doesn't ask you why…_

This time she walked him backwards to his bed, to show him that she really did want this. She really wanted him completely. She slipped him out of his shirt, then his undershirt. She kissed his chest and played with his piercing with her tongue. Suddenly, he turned her over on her back.

"This is about you, not me this time," he admonished playfully. "You look a little over-dressed."

"You're right," she smiled and stood beside the bed. This was still the easy part for Rachel. She started with the sweater, leaving her in her lace cami and jeans. But not for long because she slid the jeans off next. Puck grinned appreciatively at the sight of her light pink lacy thong. She then rid herself of the tank top to show him her matching pink bra. "It's called 'whisper pink'" she told him. "I picked them because I feel innocent and naughty at the same time."

Puck's breath hitched in his throat. She had a way of just saying things and looking at him a certain way that would make him hard, no contact required. "Damn, Rach," he murmured back.

She climbed back on to the bed, helping to pull off his last items of clothing. Then she crawled back up to him, straddling his hips. Rachel wanted to start with the lingerie still on, and she moved herself against him as they kissed, so it was all Puck could do to keep from tearing the offending articles off of her before she finally allowed it happen.

"You're so beautiful, Rachel," he said, as he kissed her everywhere. And she even felt a little beautiful in the flickering glow of the candlelight.

Puck used his extensive experience to try to make her feel good, ready to take him inside of her. He knew it was working. He knew her body well. "Short and sweet," he whispered, preparing her. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," she breathed.

He made sure the condom was in place before he slid into her carefully, watching her reaction closely. She flinched a little and made a low noise in the back of her throat.

"Are you ok? Should I stop?"

"Keep going," she whispered back. And to make her intentions clear, she rocked her hips, forcing him deeper inside of her.

There was pain, to be sure, but the love and concern emanating from Noah all but erased the discomfort and allowed Rachel to focus on the wonder of what was happening.

Puck kept his thrusts as gentle as possible and he used his mouth and hands expertly to lead Rachel to her climax. He knew from second-hand experience that not all virgins would orgasm their first time, but he had given Rachel plenty of orgasms through other methods, so he knew what should work. And she'd have a much better impression, he thought, if he could get her to feel about as good as he had made her feel on other occasions.

"Noah!" she said his name softly but with urgency, between gasps, "Noah! Noah!"

"C'mon, baby, c'mon," he coaxed her. He didn't know if it was true, but it seemed like their whispers to each other helped drive them both over the edge.

After a moment of heavy breathing, he slipped out of her with a tender kiss and rolled off to the side. She sighed at his absence—his removal pained her a little physically and maybe emotionally. He dropped the condom in a conveniently located trashcan next to his bed, and picked up a conveniently located hand towel to clean himself off. Rachel clenched her thighs together. "I think I may have bled on your sheets!" She mentally slapped herself when she realized that these were the first words she had said to him after they had sex.

"It's ok. Here," he handed her a fresh towel (he was prepared). "Or you can use the bathroom, but it's across the hall."

Rachel took the towel and noticed only a few spots of blood. Nothing to worry about. Then she awkwardly handed him back the towel, neatly folded.

He threw both towels on the floor to deal with later. Rachel almost chided him, but changed her mind before the words tumbled out. Puck climbed back into bed. "Are you ok?" She nodded. "Are you sore?" She nodded. "A little."

"What are the odds you'll ever want to try this again?" he asked. He was half joking, half seriously worried.

"I'd say they're pretty good," she smiled, to Puck's relief.

They cuddled and drifted off to sleep until the sounds of Puck's phone alarm woke them.

… _End Mature Scene _…

Puck decided he didn't want to just drop Rachel off at Kurt's. Even though his mom had told him to be home before she got back from the bar, he decided he didn't want Rachel sleeping in Kurt Hummel's basement without him on the first night they'd had sex. Rachel made a show of protesting so that he wouldn't get in trouble, but she was thrilled that Noah was displaying such affection for her, and in front of the other gleeks. Not that she expected that he'd drop her after they had sex, but his protectiveness and love for her filled her heart so full it felt ready to burst. (Even if _that _four-letter word was the only one he didn't say.)

They parked street-side instead of in the driveway so it wouldn't be obvious when Kurt's dad got home that Puck was staying at the Hummel house. Kurt had been expecting Rachel only, but he agreed to let Puck stay. But only after Puck promised there would be no more messing around with Rachel, effective as soon as they set foot into his house.

"I just don't want to be apart from her tonight, that's all," said Puck gruffly. This confession was followed by a chorus of "Aw's", prompting Rachel to break the "no messing around" rule immediately.

"First strike!" shouted Kurt. "And in this house, you're out on the second strike!" Then he spoke conspiratorially. "Besides, my dad will be back any minute. We've got to find a place to stash Puck in the meantime."

Kurt had what could be described as a hissy fit when Puck bounded into his closet to hide. "My clothes!" he shrieked. "You're smashing my clothes! They'll be wrinkled and smell like Puck!" Then Kurt promptly shut his mouth and stopped fighting it. The girls all giggled. They decided Kurt's abrupt pause was either because the sound of Burt's truck pulling into the driveway quieted him, or the thought of Puck's scent mingling with his clothes wasn't so bad after all.

"Hey, dad," Kurt said innocently when his dad popped in from upstairs. All three girls and Kurt were giving each other manicures.

"Hey, Kurt, ladies," Burt greeted. "I see the Navigator is intact. Good. I hope you had a nice night." They all nodded back. Burt continued, "I'm glad you're staying quiet down here. Keep it that way. I'll be going to sleep soon and don't want to hear any racket."

After Kurt's dad departed, Kurt fished Puck out of his closet. While they were all dying to talk to Rachel about her first time, they felt they might not get the most accurate information out of her while she was snuggling with Puck. So they all silently agreed to start getting ready for bed, with Puck stepping back into the closet while the girls changed into pajamas. He put on only a minimal show of playful reluctance to miss this sight. They could all tell he only had eyes for Rachel anyway.

Everyone fell asleep in Kurt's room after an overall satisfying New Year's Eve. The only negative to speak of was the twinge of jealousy felt by the singletons at the sight of Puck's arm draped over Rachel's tiny sleeping frame.

**…**

**A.N.** What did you think? I hope the Mature scene wasn't too graphic. I was trying to be descriptive without being too detailed since this story isn't rated M (but let me know if you think I should up the rating or never do mature scenes again). I didn't have room for Finn's perspective this time. I had a lot to cram into this chapter, so the other chapters should go back to being a bit shorter. The **next chapter** includes the part you've been dreading…in which what was hidden is revealed. But you'll want to read what happens, I promise. I haven't finished writing that dreaded Chapter 13 yet, so feel free to leave suggestions, and I'll see what I can incorporate.


	13. Fight to get it back again

**A.N.** I hope this lives up to the anticipation, but doesn't cause you to boycott this story. You wouldn't do that, right? Thanks to **LizzayMartini** for suggesting "What Can I Say" by Carrie Underwood featuring Sons of Sylvia. For those who like to follow the songs (and I **highly recommend it** this time), also prepare to listen to "Friend of Mine" by Liz Phair (enter those search terms with terms "yahoo music" to listen free since this one's a rare find), "Love You Madly" by Cake, and "The Fixer" by Pearl Jam. If you don't like it, skip the lyrics as usual, but I like them and what they evoke—I listened over and over while writing.

**Disclaimer.** I do not own Glee or anything else. I'm guessing my idea for Puck's sister to have a little crush on Finn came from **une fille's** _Easy Girl_. And the idea that Finn sucked at shopping probably came from **NicolasaMaria's** _All I Want Is You_.

…

**January, Junior Year **

Puck felt his phone vibrating in his pocket as he laid next to Rachel in Kurt's basement. He had a few seconds to sleepily appreciate Rachel nuzzling his neck before the insistent ringing started, forcing him awake. He reached for his phone to quiet it and saw that it was his mother calling. Shit. And everyone else was starting to wake up because of his stupid phone.

"Noah Puckerman!" his mom yelled so loudly he had to hold the phone away from his ear. "I've been afraid you were lying in a ditch somewhere! Get home now!"

"Sorry, Mom. I fell asleep at the party."

"We had an agreement that you'd come home last night. You're grounded! Get back here immediately!"

The bleary-eyed gleeks watched Puck on the phone. "Damn, sounds like Mama Puckerman knows how to give a verbal beatdown!" said Mercedes.

"Is everything ok, Noah?" Rachel asked anxiously.

He shrugged. "I'm grounded and I've gotta jet. Do you wanna ride home?"

"No, thanks," she smiled. "I drove to Kurt's yesterday."

Puck turned to Kurt. "Since I'm leaving anyway, I'm ready for my second strike." Puck smirked at Rachel who was nervously combing through her hair with her fingers. "Give me a goodbye kiss, Berry."

"Oh! Let me just brush my teeth!" Rachel started to reach for her overnight bag.

"No time. Just don't stick your tongue down my throat and we'll be good." Rachel blushed, but reached up to press her lips to his. Puck lifted her off of her feet and spun around once before depositing a lovestruck Rachel back in place.

"Bye, baby," he smiled at Rachel. She nodded back dreamily. "Thanks for letting me crash, Hummel. Ladies," he acknowledged with a tip of an imaginary hat. And then he was up the stairs and rushing to his truck.

Kurt started coughing horrendously and making retching sounds.

"Kurt! Are you ok?" The girls were worried.

Kurt took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry, I think my _soul_ just _vomited_. Please excuse my outburst."

Rachel glared at him. "You are not excused."

"Anyway, it's _hideously_ early," bemoaned Kurt. "What do you say to trying to get some more beauty sleep?"

"Hell, yes," said Mercedes. Tina was already nearly asleep again. Rachel felt too excited to sleep, but she thought maybe she'd have wonderful dreams if she tried to fall asleep right away.

…

After Rachel thanked Kurt for his hospitality, she was anxious to talk to Noah. She knew he was grounded, so she'd have to wait for him to contact her. And he did that afternoon. His mom took away his Xbox but not his phone. She never thought of her son as much of a talker, and she was just proud that she remembered to unplug his game console and take it with her out of his room. And unfortunately for Puck, his mom had New Year's Day off of work, so he really was stuck at home for the day.

"So, Berry," Puck asked right away when he called, "what's your favorite flower?"

Rachel was surprised by the question and started looking around her room for inspiration. "Well, daisies, lilies, roses…Wait are you taking notes? You don't have to do that! I was about to name the first twenty types of flowers that came to mind!"

"I thought it would be good to keep a reference. Little known fact, I'm the best catch ever."

"I already knew, but you keep getting better and better." Rachel beamed into the phone.

"Oh, just you wait, you don't know the half of it!"

She felt heat rising from her skin, everywhere. "Was that an innuendo?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, yes it was."

"Oh. I thought so," she said seriously. Then she brightened at the thought that came to mind. "When can I see you so you can teach me the other half of what makes you the best?"

"I like that you're eager," he replied smoothly. "Last night was just the beginning, baby. I'm gonna turn you into a puddle of jelly every chance I get. You'll forget your own name."

"I don't know if I want that," she said nervously.

"Believe me, you will. So, tell me that your dads will be going out of town or something soon!"

"We just went out of town, so unfortunately no."

"You're right, that's a damn shame. If you go too long between rounds, it'll keep hurting longer than it needs to."

"What? …Oh, nevermind." Once Rachel figured out what he meant, she wondered how he acquired this information about female pain. But then Quinn popped into her mind—since Quinn's first, second, and God knows how many other times were with _him_. It was a little depressing…

"Yeah, we need to get together again asap to break you in. What's on the schedule before school starts?"

She ignored his uncouth comment comparing her to a horse or a pair of shoes. Sometimes that was the best course of action. Instead, she focused on his question. "Oh, I need to update the schedule!" she chirped. "I have to replace football with basketball and pretty soon baseball! And I'll start community theatre again."

"Theatre, Berry?"

"Well, maybe. I'll see how the schedule looks." Rachel wasn't planning to turn her world upside down because her boyfriend didn't think theatre was cool, but maybe she did have too many unnecessary activities… "Will you just be grounded for today? We only have two more days before we go back to school."

"I'll be grounded all week. But my mom will be at work, so we'll be able to get together if you can."

"I'll check my schedule," she said coyly.

"Well, while you do that, I have an idea of how to spend our time apart..."

Somehow, he convinced her to start sexting. She felt silly, and she just typed in things that she said she's doing, even though she was just sitting there with the phone doing nothing remotely resembling what she typed. Then Noah had the gall to send her a picture of what he was doing! She almost had a heart attack when the ghastly (and not at all arousing) picture appeared on her screen. If it hadn't been for the sight of his impossibly toned abs in the picture, she would have deleted it immediately.

And of course he was expecting something in return. The picture she snapped of some strategically placed articles of clothing on her bedroom floor was rejected. "Show skin," he had sent.

Rachel's palms started sweating and her mouth went dry. This is ridiculous, she thought, feeling peer pressured by your boyfriend. Nevertheless, she pondered what she could take a picture of and not be too embarrassed if it ever surfaced in the tabloids. Remarkably, just thinking of the possibilities made her feel sexy. She opted for bare legs, knees bent, feet on the bed, and she leaned back to capture the picture, with an angle that hid her upper thighs and the fact that she wasn't actually naked. "Nice," he replied. "Naughty," she sent. She managed to distract him with sexting and was relieved that she didn't have to send a racier picture. Maybe one day she would actually do the things he told her to do in his texts, since he was the expert after all.

She was saved from this bizarre New Year's Day activity by a phone call from Quinn. Definite mood killer. When Quinn had asked her for help to become better friends with Finn, she knew it was unspoken that Quinn wanted to get closer to the possibility of a romantic relationship with him again. And that was more than fine with Rachel. But she realized she hadn't done her share of brainstorming about how to help Quinn with Finn. This realization made her remember that she hadn't performed another task—Mr. Schue had asked the glee club to think about a third song to perform for Sectionals. And at lightning speed, Rachel had the beginnings of a plan.

"Quinn, I'm glad you called." When Rachel found out that Quinn didn't have many ideas of what her next step should be, she proposed her own.

"Perhaps you should sing a song to Finn at glee. You can say that it's an idea for Sectionals, but it doesn't really have to be."

"…Ok?"

Rachel never got the reactions that she wanted when she shared her plans. Couldn't someone shout "Eureka!" just once?

"The reason it might work is because you'll be the sole attraction. He'll be practically forced to look at you instead of avoiding you. And if we can find the right song, it will be a subtle suggestion that you're not interested in Noah, which was part of the reason why Finn couldn't stand to look at you anymore." Rachel took a breath and there was a long pause in which Quinn must have been speechless. "Sorry, that didn't come out right."

"No, I find your honesty…refreshing"

The girls decided to look for appropriate songs individually, and then Quinn would meet Rachel on Monday to make final decisions. Rachel was surprised to get a call an hour later, with Quinn asking for her opinion and permission. "Maybe Puck and I can sing the Carrie Underwood song 'What Can I Say'. That is, if you think the song is ok, and if you're ok with the two of us singing it together."

"Well, I'll probably have to see you perform it to determine if it sends the right message," Rachel answered thoughtfully. "And you don't need my permission to ask Noah to sing with you, but I appreciate the gesture. Just ask him."

…

And that's how Rachel ended up on Noah's bed Sunday after his mom got called in to cover someone's shift. She was waiting for Quinn to arrive and preparing to critique their duet that was intended to bring Quinn closer to Finn.

Puck jumped up to answer the doorbell just as Rachel got a call from Finn.

"Hey, Rach. I was wondering if you would come to the mall with me on Tuesday before school starts."

"The mall, why?"

"I have some Christmas money to spend and things I need to exchange, and I'm terrible at shopping. I could use a friend's opinion."

"Sure, I can help you, Finn. When should we meet?" Rachel smiled politely as Quinn entered the room with Noah.

"How about I pick you up at ten so we can do some shopping and have lunch at the mall?"

"That sounds lovely, thanks. I'll see you then." Rachel finished the conversation and hung up after Finn said goodbye.

"I'm sorry for the delay," announced Rachel, "please begin your performance."

Puck shrugged and Quinn started the music. They agreed that Quinn would sing the opening, and then she and Puck would duet through most of the song.

_Piercing words, eyes are red  
Watched your taillights in the rain  
Empty heart filled with regret  
I know we were both to blame_

_And I'm not sorry that it's over  
But for the way we let it end  
So I said all I had to say  
In letters that I threw away_

_And you should know, please believe me  
I've picked up the phone a thousand times  
And tried to dial your number, but it's been so long  
It's never easy, it's like tryin' to spin the world the other way  
What can I say?  
_

Rachel stopped them before they could continue. "I'm sorry to interrupt you. And I hate to say it, but this definitely sends the wrong message." Rachel was struggling to watch Quinn and Noah singing like this together, so she knew Finn would have a hard time.

"What, isn't this a break up song?" asked Puck. But Quinn picked up on what Rachel was saying without speaking.

"No, Puck, she's right. Finn won't get the lyrics. He'll just see us singing together."

"And some of the lyrics make it sound…well, it's just not what you want to project," Rachel stated.

"Oh. Whatever, I didn't really wanna sing this gay song anyway." Both girls rolled their eyes.

"Well, maybe you both should write Finn a letter to explain the feelings you were going to sing," suggested Rachel.

"A letter?" they both said skeptically.

"You're right. Maybe Quinn should just sing a solo. It worked for me when you did it, Noah." She said it with a smile, but there was a hidden meaning. _He's with me now._

Quinn was well-versed in the subtleties buried in the social interactions of teen girls. "That's a good idea, Rachel. I'll go home to think about the solo and ask for your advice after I have some ideas."

"That sounds great, Quinn."

…

"Finally! Some alone time…" smirked Puck after he escorted Quinn out.

"Isn't your sister here?" Rachel asked meekly as he slammed his bedroom door shut.

"Yeah, I'll lock the door."

"But…" As Rachel protested the impropriety, Puck proceeded to maul her.

…

Rachel was surprised when her phone rang around 9:30, interrupting Puck's endeavors to recreate Friday night. "It's Quinn!" she hissed at him. He peered back at her from under the sheet. "So? Don't answer." Simple. He started to go back to business. "Wait, get back up here," she grabbed his face with her hands and hauled him up. "She interrupted the moment. We'll both have to get back in the mood anyway."

"I'm still in the mood."

Rachel rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm going to find out what she wants." She answered just before her phone would have gone to voicemail. "No, Quinn you're not interrupting anything", she kicked at Noah, who was smirking and going back to what he was doing before the interruption.

"I think I found a song, but the first part's not right. The rest is pretty good though. It admits that we fought because I did the wrong things to try to keep him with me when he was trying to leave… When I could tell he liked you, but I made him think the baby was his…"

Awkward silence.

"Anyway, it's about admitting my faults and it's about missing him. Well, it's the best I could find except the beginning doesn't fit Finn at all. I might just give up on the idea."

Rachel was taken aback by Quinn's confession, but she thought it best not to focus on it. Besides, Rachel was a bit preoccupied. "We'll just cue it to the right place. It doesn't matter that Mr. Schue won't really pick it for Sectionals. This is the only way you'll be able to find a legitimate time to sing to Finn."

"You're right."

"Do you wanna practice it with me?" Rachel asked, her voice quivering a bit.

Quinn mistook Rachel's shaking voice for nervousness that she would take her up on the offer. "No, I'll work on it alone. I've taken up enough of your time. But I really appreciate your help. Thanks, Rachel."

"Of course, you're welcome, Quinn." Rachel ended the call. "Noah, I can't believe you!"

…

On Monday Puck's mom had to work again, and his sister went to play at a friend's. Rachel said he should come to her house this time since her dads would be at work until around six. Puck rushed right over. Maybe Rachel would be ready for him to make her forget her own name.

She was.

They spent hours together, with part of that time spent napping in Rachel's new favorite spooning position. They finally dressed with minutes to spare before her dads were expected to arrive home.

"Hey, do you wanna go sledding with me and the runt tomorrow since it's our last day of freedom before school starts?"

"I really wish I could go, but I have plans tomorrow. Remember?"

"No. How could I remember something I never knew?" Puck was disappointed.

"Oh, Finn asked me to go with him while he makes some exchanges at the mall and spends some Christmas money. He just wants a friend's opinion."

"Then shouldn't you have suggested he ask Quinn to go with him?"

"Maybe you're right. But it sounded fun. You hate the mall. I thought this would give you time to do something you want and me time to do something I want."

"You're the only thing I want to do," smirked Puck, unable to resist the opportunity she had left open with her phrasing.

She smiled and threw a pillow at him. He remembered he was mad at her.

"So why didn't you tell me about these plans?"

"Don't you remember when he called? You know all my ringtones," she said.

Like it was his fault!? Unfortunately he did know her ringtones. When he first caught on to the ringtone thing with "You Can't Always Get What You Want" assigned to Finn, he had been a bit upset. "Real subtle, Berry," he had sniped. "Well, as you know, your ring is "Sweet Caroline", and you're the only one who has ever serenaded me without being assigned to do so by Mr. Schue. I don't know why you're upset. You're the only one who gets to see me like this." and when she took off her shirt, she won the argument because the only things on Puck's mind were her boobs.

"Yeah I know your ringtones," Puck replied. "Are you sure he called when I was around?" Rachel furrowed her brow as she tried to recall. "And even if I was around, why didn't you tell me you made plans with Finn?" Puck asked accusingly.

"I didn't think you would be so upset that I had plans with a _friend_." Rachel had her own accusations embedded in her tone.

"I wouldn't, but you always update every little detail on that damn schedule, so it seems like you're trying to hide something." Puck was seething. "You're always telling me every little thing, but you leave _this_ out? What am I supposed to think?"

"You're _supposed_ to think that you can trust me." But Rachel was puzzled herself. Why had she forgotten to update the schedule? Maybe because this was Christmas vacation so her usual routine had been altered. Maybe she had subconsciously felt guilty for spending time with Finn. Or maybe all of Noah's special treatment _was_ turning her brain to mush. Rachel flushed at the thought.

When Rachel blushed, Puck knew he was right. And that made him disappointed and angry. "Do you realize what I give up to be with you? I always choose you over anyone else!"

Maybe it was something in his tone, but Rachel did not take this as a compliment or as something to be happy about. "What is that supposed to mean? If being with me is such a sacrifice for you, maybe we need to re-evaluate the situation."

"You know that's not what I mean," he said sourly. "What if I don't trust Finn?"

"Well I can't help you with that. But I'm not going to change my plans and cancel on a _friend_. I will, however, be happy to join you and Sarah for sledding after I get back from the mall." Rachel was being a little stubborn. She wasn't sure why this meant so much to her, but she didn't want to be one of those girls who ignored her friends just because she had a boyfriend, did she? Besides, she just offered a compromise.

"I always choose you over anyone else," he repeated, "but _you_ won't do the same for _me_?!" Puck was raising his voice, oblivious to the fact that Rachel's dads were downstairs and could probably hear him if he got any louder.

"Well if it means that much to you…" Rachel started reluctantly.

"No, fine, keep your plans with Finn," he said with sarcasm. Then he was more sincere, but still harsh in his words. "I just want you to think of me first, to choose me without me having to _ask you to_. I picked you over Quinn even when she was a sure thing and you weren't."

"Excuse me?"

He knew he shouldn't have said anything, but it had just poured out of his mouth before his brain could stop it. "Like in general, you know?" Puck said casually, but his insides were squirming.

"I thought that things with Quinn were over when school started this year, when things started with us."

He nodded in the affirmative. Better not to say something stupid.

Rachel wasn't dropping it. "But you're talking about picking me over Quinn like you actively had two options to choose from. And you keep saying 'always', like this is a constant struggle for you. Are you _always_ picking me in your head when you're also thinking about _Quinn_?" Rachel was on a roll because this was basically her worst fear—that he was always comparing her to Quinn. Constantly.

"No!" he said petulantly, and even to him it sounded childish. But he wasn't going to say more words than absolutely necessary.

"I can tell when you're hiding something. I have a sixth sense about these things." (Ok, she wasn't really psychic, but she thought she had become attuned to Noah somehow, all the way back in sophomore year.) "It would be better for both of us if you just tell me."

"Really? Better for both of us?" he smirked and crossed his arms. Like what could she really do if he didn't talk? She couldn't hurt him physically, she was tiny. Well maybe there was something she could do physically (or what she would not do, to be exact). Berry wasn't budging at the sight of his smirk though, just glaring. Looking like she just might withhold things from him, things that he wanted… "Fine. You have to promise not to get mad."

"Is it something that would make me mad?"

He couldn't win. "I'm not saying anything else. First amendment or whatever."

"It's fifth," she couldn't help correcting him. "And you'll just be making this worse because I'm already upset now. If you don't tell me, I'll be furious."

Shit. Why did he open his mouth and say dumbass things? He was left with no choice. Now it was time for the recovery mission.

"Well, this happened before we were, you know, official to the public. Which started on Monday, December sixth," Wow her with the date, he thought. And it's his alibi since they weren't official until she decided to sit next to him in glee, which was _after_ the dance. "And it's not a big deal really. But after the dance...Quinn basically suggested that she'd be open to, you know, and I told her no. I didn't want you to be upset about it because nothing happened. No need to get mad at Quinn—I'm pretty irresistible." He grinned hesitantly and hoped that Rachel wouldn't explode.

"And this proposition from Quinn came completely out of the blue? You two were dancing and what, she asks you to have sex?"

The grin was gone. "Uh, almost like that… She had been crying after you and Finn left and I was taking her home. We sorta slipped into old habits or something like that because we kissed; I don't really know how it happened. Then she asked if my mom was home, you know, like she didn't want her to be. And that's when I realized what I was doing and told her we had to stop. And she knew it was because I wanted to be with you, and she was cool with that." Rachel regarded him skeptically. He added, "Rachel, you're the one I want, not Quinn."

"But look how easy it is to fall into 'old habits' with her! How can I go on like this knowing that you'll always have her to compare me to? There will always be something between you and Quinn. Maybe I should just bow out gracefully now before I get too hurt." She was thinking out loud.

"Rachel, I picked you! I _love_ you for fuck's sake!"

"Oh, thank you for that beautiful confession." Rachel snapped. Did he think she would swoon over the words 'I love you' when they're followed by an ugly swear? She almost had. Almost.

"I'm sorry, so sorry. I'm an idiot. You know I'm an idiot. But I love you, I'm completely, idiotically in love with you!"

"I'm sorry too. I need some time…to think. I need you to leave."

"Rach, please let me explain. You always talk about listening to the other person's perspective. Please."

"I can't do this now. You have to leave."

Puck reluctantly did as he was asked. She looked so determined, but at the same time she looked like she might pass out on him, so he didn't really want to leave her alone.

He climbed into the cab of his truck. And he couldn't help it, he let out a angry "FUUUUCK!" and banged his fists against the steering wheel. He caught a glimpse of Rachel's dad, looking more intimidating than he thought possible, bursting from the front door. But Puck was already starting the engine and pealing out of the driveway. He could tell through the window that Rachel's other dad was heading up the stairs, probably to check on Rachel.

What a fucking mess.

…

"Rachel?! Rachel, what just happened?! Did that boy hurt you?"

She just wailed. Her Dad came rushing up the stairs, joining her Daddy.

"Do we need to take you to the hospital? File a police report?"

Rachel realized what her dad thought. "No! Of course not! I'm hurt emotionally, Dad. He didn't try to hurt me, um, physically."

"Oh thank God! I mean, I'm sorry that you're hurting, sweetheart, but I'm so relieved."

"I understand," she sniffled.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. I need to cry right now. But I'll talk to you both about it as soon as I can."

And Rachel cried while her dads hugged her and told her everything would be okay.

…

All Puck wanted to do was lay in bed and come up with ways to fix things with Rachel. Unfortunately, his bratty sister had other ideas. Tuesday morning she was up, bugging the crap out of him. "When are we picking up Rachel to go sledding?"

"Rachel won't be sledding, she's shopping with Finn," he said dully.

Sarah perked up at Finn's name. "We should go shopping with them, and then all go sledding afterward!"

"Oh yeah? Where were you when I needed you?" Puck said sarcastically.

"Here, why?"

Puck continued the sarcasm. "If only I had thought of suggesting that idea, then maybe I wouldn't have made an ass of myself and Rachel wouldn't have been a bitch."

"You said the a-word and the b-word!"

"Yeah, no fucking shit." Then Sarah started blubbering.

"Hey runt, I'm sorry, I'm just mad about my fight with Rachel. I'm not mad at you, k?"

"I guess," she sniffled.

"You wanna try to help me?"

She shrugged dismissively.

"You can help me think of a way to make Rachel accept my apology."

"That's easy. Sing to her."

"That's so retarded, it might just work."

"Hey! You're not supposed to say that word either!"

"Sorry, kiddo. Thanks for the idea. Now I just have to think of a good, manly apology song."

"Manly? Like the Jonas Brothers?"

"Hell no." He slammed his bedroom door.

"Noah, the h-word!" Sarah huffed.

Sarah remembered that Noah had told her Finn hated him now, something about how Finn liked Quinn, and Quinn had Noah's baby. But Quinn wasn't around anymore, and the baby was gone, so maybe Finn and Noah were back to normal. Still, when she took Noah's phone from where it was charging to send a text to Finn, she made sure to start with "It's Sarah". Finn was cute and fun, and it would be great if he would come sledding with them. When she finished, she realized Noah was still in his room, which would mess up their plans for the day. "Noah! You still owe me! You promised we'd go sledding!"

…

"Hey!" called Tina. Sarah ran toward Tina and Benny, and Puck trudged behind her dutifully.

"What, no Rachel?" grinned Tina. The smile dropped quickly at the dark look on Puck's face.

Sarah piped up. "Rachel went shopping with Finn. She might come sledding after, right Noah?"

"Wrong." It suddenly dawned on Puck that Rachel was with Finn right now and might tell him what had happened. "Shit," he muttered.

"Noah! The s-word!"

"Shut it, we have to go," he frowned at his sister. "Later," he said, acknowledging Tina. He had to call Quinn and warn her, and he couldn't do it here in front of the kid. He just wanted to go home.

…

Finn was surprised to see a text from Puck on his phone, but chuckled when he realized it was from Sarah. "Check this out, Sarah Puckerman just invited us to go sledding." He showed Rachel the message.

She smiled a little in response. "That was sweet of her."

"She's a cute kid. So she knows you too, huh?"

"Yes. Not as well as you, I'm sure. But I have met her on several occasions."

"I guess Puck must've told her where we were and said to invite us. Do you wanna go?"

"I really don't."

"That's cool. Me neither. I mean sledding's fun and all, but I think the company would make it uncomfortable. I prefer just you and me."

"Right now, I agree."

Finn looked happy, and then a bit concerned. "I can tell something's wrong. It's about you and Puck, right? Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not today. But you're a good friend, Finn, and when I'm ready to talk about it, I promise to talk to you."

"Ok, whatever you want. Do you want me to take you home?"

Rachel decided that she wouldn't tell Finn what she had learned about Puck and Quinn. It would be too hard for her to speak the words. Besides, Finn wasn't dating Quinn, so she had no business bringing that up to him for his own sake. If she ever did tell Finn, it would be because she wanted to discuss her feelings about it with a friend, and she wasn't ready to do that yet.

…

After calling Quinn to tell her that Rachel knew what happened after the dance (and getting an earful from Quinn about how stupid he was), Puck spent the rest of the day trying to get Rachel to talk to him. Rachel spent the day trying not to talk to Puck.

…

"Welcome back, everyone. As you know, Sectionals were pushed back to the end of the month, but that means we only have the rest of this month to pick our third song and perfect our routine. So from now on, we're going to work extra hard. Nationals are at the end of March, and we may even have a chance to get there this year! So, who would like to share your ideas for that third song?"

Puck raised his hand. "I have a suggestion."

Santana scoffed. "Déjà vu? It's like we're living in a re-run. Didn't you do this last year for our first song assignment? Since when did you become a brown-noser?"

"Whatever. Do _you_ have a song? Would _you _like to go first? By all means…" Puck gestured for Santana to take the floor.

"As if," she said with an eye roll as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine. Quinn, you have a song right? Would you like to go first to break the cycle?" Quinn nodded and stepped down. Puck ceded the floor to her. He noticed that Rachel started fidgeting when he had volunteered, but she seemed too interested in Quinn's song to take off. So he knew he should make sure to perform immediately after Quinn.

"This song's called 'Friend of Mine' by Liz Phair," Quinn said with a barely perceptible quiver in her voice.

_Gonna take a vacation  
Stop chasing what I lack  
Am I gonna get blown off  
As soon as I get back  
On another track  
Without you?  
_

She didn't look at Finn because she knew she would lose it if she did.

_  
'Cause I don't have the heart to try  
One more false start in life  
It's been so hard to get it right  
Seems like the moment I catch up  
The farther you fly_

_And I wasted your time, denying  
That that's the reason we fight all the time  
It's been so long since you've been a friend of mine_

A brief, guitar-heavy instrumental began, and Quinn bobbed her head to the music and stood a bit awkwardly. She stole a glance at Finn, and then turned to Mr. Schue. "Maybe we'd do some neat choreo here?" Quinn tried to at least make it look like a real song suggestion and not an excuse to sing for Finn. Mr. Schue nodded, but didn't interrupt.

_And I wasted your time, didn't I?  
And that's the reason we fight all the time  
It's been so long since you've been a friend to me  
It seems like I dreamed and now I'm waking up to daylight  
What happened, when did you let go of me?_

(She knew, but she hoped a part of him hadn't let go of her completely.)

_  
I miss you so badly  
It's been so long since you've been a friend of mine_

Quinn lowered her head, made sure the tears didn't escape, and looked back up at Finn.

Finn shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He swallowed. What was up with that lump in his throat?

Most of the glee kids sat uncomfortably in their seats too, some had open mouths. Then someone started politely clapping, which triggered the rest. "That was lovely, Quinn. Very emotional performance," said Mr. Schue. "But I'm not sure how we'll incorporate choreography with that one. We may need a more upbeat song to really wow the judges."

Puck took that as his cue. "I think my song might fit the bill, Mr. Schue. I mean, you did a great job, Quinn, but we all know your song was for an ulterior motive." Quinn nodded and smiled weakly as she sat down.

"Like yours isn't for an ulterior motive?" Santana sneered. Would Puck profess his desire to get into Rachel Berry's pants every year with a lame solo? Barf.

"Maybe it is," he shrugged, "but it's still upbeat."

"Actually, Puck, if you don't mind, I have an upbeat song I'd like to perform," said Artie. "No ulterior motives in mine."

Puck was really anxious, but what choice did he have? He agreed.

"On second thought, if you know this well enough, maybe you want to join me? Since you appear to be itiching to perform."

Puck looked at the paper Artie handed to him. "Sure, man." Why not?

"Ok, my selection is Cake's 'Love You Madly'. Feel free to join in." The song started with a great beat, followed by horns. Even the kids who didn't recognize the song right away started bopping along.

_I don't want to wonder  
if this is a blunder  
I don't want to worry whether we're goin' to stay together 'til we die_

Artie gestured for Puck to take the second verse. So he glanced at his music sheet and literally jumped in.

_I don't want to jump in  
unless this music's thumping  
All the dishes rattle in the cupboards when the elephants arrive  
_

Puck took backup and sang with Artie for the rest of the song.

_I want to love you madly  
I want to love you now (I want to love you)  
I want to love you madly (I want to love you)  
Way, I want to love you, love you, love you madly_

_I don't want to fake it  
I just want to make it  
The ornaments look pretty but they're pulling down the branches of the tree_

_I don't want to think about it  
I don't want to talk about it  
When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea_

Artie kissed Tina's hand, and Puck crouched and sank to his knees to imitate sinking since Artie couldn't. He avoided Rachel's eyes during this bit of cheesiness. He could tell from his peripheral vision that she wasn't enjoying the performance like everyone else was.

_I want to love you madly  
I want to love you now (I want to love you)  
Yeah, I want to love you madly (I want to love you)  
Way, I want to love you, love you, love you madly  
_

During the instrumental, Puck stalked around to the beat and followed Artie's wheelchair moves, since Artie had prepared for this song. Puck wasn't the best dancer (better than Finn by far), but this was like comedic dancing anyway. He did some head-bobbing and model struts on the imaginary catwalk.

_  
I don't want to hold back  
I don't want to slip down  
I don't want to think back to one the thing that I know I should have done  
I don't want to doubt you,  
know everything about you  
I don't want to sit across the table from you wishing I could run_

Everyone laughed as Puck and Artie pantomimed running with horrified looks on their faces. Even Rachel almost smiled. Puck caught a hint of her upturned lips. The duo straightened up right away for the final chorus.

_I want to love you madly  
I want to love you now (I want to love you)  
I want to love you madly (I want to love you)  
Way, I want to love you, love you, love you madly_

They improvised some dance moves as the beat and horns faded out. Then they gave each other high-fives. This was the boy Rachel had wanted to emerge from Puck's rough, sullen exterior. The one who engaged with the others and actually showed that he enjoyed glee club. Why had he appeared now when she didn't have the heart to enjoy it?

"Wow, you two, that was fantastic!" praised Mr. Schue. "Artie, that was a really great choice, and I can imagine that we could incorporate modern dance and use some of our swing dance moves for the choreography in competition. I like it! Well, what does everyone think?" Everyone applauded and let out a few cheers. Puck had fun, and now he was feeling pumped for his song. He was kinda glad Artie asked him to join in with the song, because he had been feeling like he might throw up right before his initial announcement. He was really glad Rachel hadn't skipped glee rehearsal because of their fight, and he was really, really glad that she didn't take off at the sight of him performing. It didn't matter what song they picked for Sectionals because his song was meant for her.

(Ok, serenading Rachel Berry may have been over-used, but why mess with something that works? It was at least worth a try.)

"Uh, mine's called 'The Fixer'. For a Pearl Jam song it's kind of gay, no offense." Kurt rolled his eyes. Mr. Schue looked offended, but didn't reprimand him verbally since Kurt didn't seem upset. "But for a glee song it's kind of awesome. I, uh, made copies of the song, so everyone can join in on whatever parts they want." Puck borrowed an electric guitar to play along so he'd have something to do with his hands, but he had the accompanying music rather than planning ahead and working with the band to play the song (like he had with "Sweet Caroline"). He didn't have that kind of time. He needed to make things right with Rachel _now_.

_Hey, hey, hey…Aaahh, ahh, ahh…  
When something's dark, let me shed a little light on it  
If something's cold, I wanna put a little fire on it  
If something's old, I wanna put a little shine on it  
__**If something's gone, I wanna fight to get it back again**_

_  
_Puck focused on Rachel completely. Eyes passionate and pleading.

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, __**fight to get it back again**__  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah _

The other kids joined in with the song, especially the chorus and "yeah's". Most noticed Puck's intensity toward Rachel and the lack of response on Rachel's face. They knew something was going on, but they didn't know what.

_When something's broke, I wanna put a little fixin' on it  
If something's bored, I wanna put a little excitin' on it  
When something's low, I wanna put a little high on it  
__**If something's lost, I wanna fight to get it back again**_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, __**fight to get it back again**__  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_When signals cross, I wanna put a little straight on it  
__**If there's no love, I wanna try to love again…**__  
_

Puck's eyes burned into Rachel's. She was the only one not singing along. Her stare would have been blank, if not for the tears welling up in her deep brown eyes.

_  
I'll say your prayers, I'll take your side  
I'll find us a way to make light  
I'll dig your grave, we'll dance and sing  
What's saved could be one last lifetime_

_Hey, hey, hey…Aaah, ahh, ahh…  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, __**fight to get it back again**__  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah _

_  
_Puck was trying so hard; he was almost on the verge of tears himself. He wanted to fight for her. He wanted to be good enough for her.

_**Fight to get it back again**__, yeah, yeah, yeah  
__**Fight to get it back again**__, yeah, yeah, yeah  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

"Puck, you've done an awesome job! Really great job! That's an excellent song. Except maybe the part about grave digging…" Will paused and noticed several of the other students nodding in puzzled agreement. Then Artie spoke up.

"Actually, Mr. Schue, I heard the interpretation of those lyrics was that 'I'll dig your grave' is a way to refer to 'til death do us part', like marriage. But you know, with cooler words. The whole song is about saving a relationship," said Artie knowingly. Puck nodded, silently thanking Artie. He didn't know about the grave digging line either, but he had picked the song to try to save his relationship. God, he hoped it worked. He wasn't trying to propose marriage here; he was just saying he wanted to fight for Rachel, for them.

"Thank you for that illuminating assessment, Artie. So, what does everyone think of Puck's song?" Everyone applauded except for Rachel. The glee kids stared at her intently, and some kept glancing between Puck and Rachel. Will was somewhat aware of the odd situation. "What about you Rachel?" he asked.

Rachel looked at Mr. Schue. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words emerged. She glanced at Puck, and he could see the tears spilling over, but only for a moment because she quickly turned and bolted from the room.

…

**A.N.** I had to leave a little cliffhanger—I almost left it with Rachel crying with her dads. Now I'm prepared for the hate mail, which I welcome since some feedback is better than none. But I'm also readily accepting fan mail. Ha! Even though I've been hinting at this for this for weeks, I'll come out and say now that this is just a roadblock, which will be explored in greater detail coming up. This is still a Puck/Rachel story, it's just not always an easy road for these two. By the way, Puck's slip up that led Rachel to pry was based on real-life events. A slip of the tongue by a guilty party and a perceptive and persistent partner led to an admission of a secret that was intended to be kept hidden in the real world. So I hope that came across as at least somewhat realistic. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing! I like to try to incorporate suggestions into the story. I accept anonymous reviews too, so leave a comment, even if it's just to write "sucks!" or "it's ok". It will give me a better idea of what's really going on out there since I get more visitors than I get reviews.


	14. So Close

**A.N.** Lots of song rec's made it into this chapter (full lyrics aren't included for all). In order of appearance: Thanks to **LizzayMartini** for "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin (from _Enchanted_); **PoliVamp** for "Low" by Kelly Clarkson; **Karma22** for "Whatcha Say" by Jason Derulo; **chrpangel** for "I Want to Come Over" by Melissa Etheridge. My addition is "Umbrella" by dog's eye view, which will be a Puck performance (worthy of lyric-reading/song-listening). For the last two songs, search with terms 'last fm' to listen free. This chapter is still on the angst side of this romance/angst/general story. But get psyched! Remember moody!Puck and sad!Rachel—they're here in this chapter, just for you!

**Disclaimer.** I do not own Glee or any songs.

**…**

**January, Junior Year**

The door to the music room slammed shut behind Rachel as she ran out. All the kids in glee looked to Puck to follow after her. He didn't.

"What, I'm supposed to follow her into the bathroom?" he asked harshly. He really didn't know what to do. Puck expected one of two things from Rachel in response to his song, and this was one of them. He just didn't know what to do in the event of reaction number two. "Maybe one of you girls should go check on her." His eyes seemed to seek out Tina, and she gave a little nod and jumped up to go after Rachel.

Everyone was sitting in silence—a rare event indeed. Puck put away the guitar and sat down resignedly. Will had no idea what just transpired, but he knew that Rachel was prone to dramatic behavior, so his only worry was how this would affect them for Sectionals.

"Uh, Mr. Schue?" started Braden, who rarely spoke. "When you said to think about songs, I didn't know we were supposed to prepare performances."

"Oh, no, that's not necessary. We have too many students and not enough time before Sectionals for that. So if you do have suggestions, write them down. If you like any that you saw today, write that down too. I'll take everything into consideration when I pick our last song for Sectionals."

…

Tina guessed Rachel went to the closest girls' room, and based on the sounds of sobbing from one of the stalls, she guessed right. "Rachel, it's Tina," she started. "Puck asked me to check on you."

Sniffles.

"So, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you guys got in a fight."

Whimper that sounded vaguely affirmative.

"Well, he seems really sorry, based on his song. And I saw him Tuesday. He was really upset when Sarah told me you were shopping with Finn. Like, right after Babygate upset."

Rachel opened the stall and looked at Tina with red-rimmed eyes. "He kissed Quinn and they almost had sex!"

"What?! After you two just had sex!"

"No."

"Uh, when?" Tina was confused by the timing. She knew that New Year's Eve was Rachel's first time with Puck. And she knew that Puck was all upset yesterday right before school started again.

"After the Winter Dance," Rachel sniffed.

"Oh! …Yeah, there was obviously something going on between you two then, we could all tell. But it was pretty weird that you went to the dance with Finn and he went with Quinn."

"I guess Noah and I hadn't defined our relationship yet. But at the dance he said he thought we were _more_. And then he almost got back together with Quinn!"

"Well, this is Puck. I doubt he was getting back together with Quinn even if they almost had sex."

"Tina!" Now that Tina had been talking more since sophomore year, Rachel was realizing that she could be pretty blunt.

"Sorry. I'm just being realistic. So how'd you find out, did Quinn tell you or something?"

"No, he admitted it. He said he realized what he was doing, and stopped things before they went too far."

"But you believe him, right? That they didn't have sex?"

"Oh! I hadn't even thought about how he could be lying!" she wailed.

"I'm sure he wasn't lying," Tina said quickly. Crap, why'd she have to bring up lying?! "He's totally into you, Rachel. Don't you think you'll forgive him? That song he did for you was terrific."

"Yeah, it was. I just don't know what to do," she sobbed. "Then there's Quinn…I feel so embarrassed," she whispered.

"Embarrassed? Why? None of this is your fault."

"It's about Quinn. She knew what had happened, but she even asked me for help over Christmas break—to work on getting Finn back! She said that after the dance Puck suggested I could help her! Conveniently leaving out what else happened after the dance. She made a fool out of me too!"

"Wow, Fabray's got some balls. But that must mean that she's not trying to get back with Puck. That's good, right?"

"They both lied to my face! Well, they both hid the truth and acted like everything was fine. I don't think I can face either of them right now."

"It'll be ok, Rachel. You were doing fine out there before Mr. Schue asked you about Puck's song."

"I was barely holding myself together, as you can see," she said ruefully. "I don't think I can go back in there and act like everything's fine."

"I can tell Mr. Schue you're sick. "

"That would be great of you, Tina, thank you. I think I will go home."

…

While everyone finished writing their votes for the final number for Sectionals, Quinn worked up the courage to move to a seat next to Finn.

"Hey, do you know what's going on with Rachel?" she whispered. She needed to find out if Rachel told him what happened between her and Puck.

"Sorta," he whispered back.

She raised her eyebrow to say, 'well, spill it'. Finn was good at reading facial cues and emotions, so he picked up on what she meant.

"She was upset about Puck yesterday when we were hanging out together. She didn't tell me why. But she said she would tell me when she was ready."

Quinn let out an uneasy sigh. She was safe for now, but probably not for long.

"Why are you so interested anyway?" asked Finn.

"Rachel helped me choose a song to suggest for Sectionals. We were sorta becoming friends." It wasn't really a lie, Quinn thought.

"Really? You and Rachel as friends? That's pretty cool, Quinn." Finn smiled one of his famous smiles.

Quinn melted a little. "Well, I don't know if we're actually friends, but I was hoping maybe we could be," she said sincerely. Then she snapped back into reality. They might have become friends if Rachel hadn't found out about 'the incident'. And of course Puck told Rachel about the comment Quinn had made, so Rachel really thought she was a man-stealer. Even though that term would fit Rachel just as well, Quinn thought grimly.

"Don't ask me why I thought we'd be friends!" she said with that familiar Fabray bite, shaking her head like she couldn't believe her momentary lapse in judgment.

Finn just chuckled at her. Then he remembered Quinn's performance before Rachel ran out. "Hey, you did a good job with your song, but I couldn't vote for it for Sectionals. It wasn't the right fit."

"That's ok. Thanks, Finn." She wondered if Finn was providing hidden meanings with his words. She raised her eyebrow and looked at him from the corner of her eye. Was he _that_ good? Was he telling her that _they_ weren't a good fit? Or were his words meant to be taken at face value?

…

Once at home, Rachel had three hours to kill before her dads got home from work. All she could think about was Noah kissing Quinn only hours before spending the night with her. And she knew with Puck, 'kissing' included groping and possibly more. She felt the loss of what she thought she had as an ache in her chest. Maybe she'd prepare a MySpace video to express her emotions. She found the music to "So Close" from the _Enchanted_ soundtrack and sang all her feelings into the camera.

_You`re in my arms  
And all the world is calm  
The music playing on for only two  
So close together  
And when I`m with you  
So close to feeling alive_

_A life goes by  
Romantic dreams will stop  
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew  
So close was waiting, waiting here with you  
And now, forever, I know  
All that I want is to hold you  
So close_

_So close to reaching that famous happy end  
Almost believing this was not pretend  
And now you`re beside me and look how far we`ve come  
So far _

_We are _

_So close _

_Oh, how could I face these faceless days  
If I should lose you now?  
We`re so close  
To reaching that famous happy end  
And almost believing this was not pretend  
Let`s go on dreaming though we know we are  
So close  
So close  
And still so far_

She posted her video, but she didn't feel better. And really, that song didn't fit all of the emotions she was experiencing. She was also angry. At Puck and at Quinn. (Sometimes she alternated between thinking of him as Noah or Puck, depending on how mad she was.) She found another song that might work to release the anger, Kelly Clarkson's "Low".

_Everybody's talking  
But they don't say a thing  
They look at me with sad eyes  
But I don't want the sympathy  
Its cool you didn't want me  
Sometimes you can't go back  
But why'd you have to go and make a mess like that  
Well I just have to say  
Before I let go_

_(Chorus) Have you ever been low?  
Have you ever had a friend that let you down so?  
When the truth came out  
Were you the last to know?  
Were you left out in the cold?  
'Cause what you did was low_

_No I don't need your number  
There's nothing left to say  
Except I never thought it'd hurt this much to be saved  
My friends are outside waiting  
I've gotta go_

_(Chorus)_

_I walk out of this darkness  
With no sense of regret  
And I go with a clear conscience  
We both know that you can't say that  
Here's to show  
For all the time I loved you so…  
So..._

_Have you ever been low?  
Have you ever had a friend that let you down so?  
When the truth came out  
Were you the last to know?  
Were you left out in the cold?  
'Cause what you did was low…_

_(Chorus)_

_  
_She deleted her original post and replaced it with "Low". She felt some satisfaction in knowing that he would see this one instead. She immediately felt guilty for the pride she took in possibly hurting his feelings—but the guilt wasn't strong enough to cause her to delete her latest post. Maybe after it had been up for a while… But she decided to run a little longer on the elliptical for punishment.

…

Luckily, Puck caught her version of "So Close" before it was deleted and she posted the stinger "Low". He knew that deep down, she still wanted to be together. So he still held out hope that he could win her back. I mean, how bad was kissing Quinn, really? She was kind of over-dramatic if you ask him. Still, he felt like an asshole. He hadn't felt like much of an ass recently, so he supposed he was due for a punch in the gut and a kick in the balls.

Nothing ever went right for long for Puck. He always managed to fuck it up. But he wasn't so fucked up yet that he wouldn't keep trying like a damn fool to fix it. Just like he kept trying to be a good father for Diana Isabel until Quinn gave the final word for adoption. He was going to keep trying to be a good boyfriend (yes, boyfriend) for Rachel until she gave the final word that they're over. He was depressed, but he wasn't a suicidal emo freakshow.

Puck sent Rachel a text, "Talk tonight?"

She typed back, "Not ready".

It was the shortest text message he'd ever gotten from her. It wasn't a good thing.

…

Mercedes messaged Puck online. At first, Puck had no idea who the message was from, but then he remembered they exchanged info last year when they were supposed to do a ballad duet. He had never used it since they ended up scrapping the duet to sing to Finn and Quinn. She had sent him a file.

"Whats this Jones?" he typed.

"Listen to it" she replied.

He rolled his eyes, but played the music file.

He heard a woman singing an R&B song:

_Wha- wha- what did she say?  
Mmmm whatcha say?_

_Mmm that you only meant well?_

"Not really my thing " he typed to her.

_Well of course you did  
Mmmm whatcha say,  
Mmmm that it's all for the best?  
Of course it is  
_

"Give it a minute" she demanded.

That's when the dude started his verses:

_I was so wrong for so long  
Only tryin' to please myself (myself)  
Girl, I was caught up in her lust  
When I don't really want no one else  
So, no I know I should of treated you better  
But me and you were meant to last forever  
_

_So let me in (let me in) give me another chance (another chance)  
To really be your man  
Cause when the roof cave in and the truth came out  
I just didn't know what to do_

"Ok?" Puck had no idea why she sent this to him. Sure the words were somewhat fitting for his current situation, but so what?

_But when I become a star we'll be living so large  
I'll do anything for you  
So tell me girl…  
_

"You could perform this for Rachel" she explained.

"Why would I do that?"

"Well, Rachel told Tina some stuff, and Tina told me, so we thought we could help you."

The quietest girl in glee club had a pretty big mouth, Puck thought. So he wrote, "Tina's a gossip huh?"

"Tina says it's not gossip if it's true." typed Mercedes.

"Tell Tina to check the dictionary again" Mercedes and Tina weren't expecting that response from _Puck_.

"Anyway, about song?" Mercedes prodded, getting them back on course.

"Thanx, but Schue already said we don't need more live performances, so…"

"No, we'll help you make a video reply to Rachel's video!"

"I don't do myspace videos"

"That's ok. Kurt has a camera, and Tina and I will sing the girls verses." Mercedes was excited to help her new favorite couple get back together.

"No. I'm capable. I just don't do myspace videos" Puck was annoyed. Ok, maybe he didn't have a camera and wasn't capable, but he sure as hell wasn't posting a performance video on MySpace. There's only so much a guy can do before his balls drop off and he grows a vagina, you know?

"You sure?"

"Hell yes. No f*ing way."

"Fine, you sad sack! See if I care!" Mercedes signed out.

Good, bet she won't be bothering him again with that shit.

He wondered if he should have done the damn video.

…

The next morning Rachel awoke to her alarm. Her eyes felt swollen. They were. Her throat was sore from the mix of crying and singing she had done last night. She grabbed her cell phone to tell her dad that she's dying and can't go to school.

"I feel wretched." It wasn't a lie. Not even close.

"Rachel, I'm just downstairs, I'm coming up to check on you."

"No, please don't trouble yourself. I don't want to expose you to my contagions."

Her dad opened her bedroom door and hung up the phone. "Oh, you do look pretty bad!" He was taken aback by her appearance. Then upon reflection, he realized she didn't look like a girl with eye infections, she looked like a girl who had been crying all night. "You can't stay home from school for emotional distress, sweetie."

"I know, Daddy. But I really feel terrible. I just need this one day to recover."

"Ok. Just this once. We should talk after your father and I get home from work if you're up for it."

Rachel nodded pitifully.

As he closed her door, Rachel's dad felt a little heartbroken himself to see his daughter so broken.

…

When Puck noticed Rachel never showed up at her locker that morning, he realized she must have stayed home from school, so he sent her a text. "Bring ur homework?"

"Kurt will." She replied. Then she sent Kurt a text asking if he'd bring her homework to her house after school.

…

Kurt arrived at Rachel's after school. "I don't understand why you're hiding out at home. Tina and Mercedes filled me in, by the way."

Of course, she should've known. Even Tina loved gossiping. And Rachel hadn't specified that it was a secret or anything.

"I just don't want to see Puck or Quinn right now."

"I don't know why, he seems to have gone all Olivia Newton-John on you."

Rachel blinked rapidly, then regarded him blankly.

"You know, hopelessly devoted to you?"

"Sorry Kurt, my first thoughts went to your appalling Grease-inspired makeover."

"Oh, right. Sorry about that by the way." She nodded back in a weak acceptance.

"Well, after talking to Tina, I became concerned that he was lying about how far things went with Quinn. And considering how we started our relationship, I'm starting to think that maybe this was all about sexual gratification for him. You know, after we actually did _it_, all he wanted to do was find times when we could do it again. What do you think that means?"

Kurt pointed out that she's being ridiculous. "Uh, duh. Not only is he part of the general 17-year-old male population, he's Puck. But he only wants to be with you now. That's huge. He's as lovesick as you are. Puck doesn't go around serenading girls. He has a conquest and moves on. You're the only one he actually tries for."

"You really think so?"

"If it makes you feel better, I'll do a little investigative work. It's a specialty of mine."

"Ok…just don't go too far or make it too obvious."

"My middle name is Stealthy."

Rachel rolled her eyes, but was grateful to have a friend.

…

Since Rachel was sick (or pretending to be) and mad at him (no questioning that), Puck decided now would be a good time to use his reference list and buy her flowers. First he stopped at the grocery store, but they didn't have all three flowers she'd named. Somehow, inspiration struck, and he bought gold star stickers while he was there. What the hell, you know? He could either give them to Rachel or to his kid sister, depending on how things went. But no flowers at the grocery store meant to finish his mission he had to go to a flower shop. A _flower shop_.

He had the flower lady (florist, whatever) help him get what even he thought was a good-looking bouquet—if you're into that kinda thing. Then he drove straight to Rachel's but she wasn't even home. Puck didn't want to leave the flowers to die in the cold on her doorstep. So he drove around like a pansy-ass and came back at 5:30 since he knew her dads would come home around 6. Still not there. He even checked the garage windows and her car wasn't there. Fuck it, he thought. He wasn't going to keep driving around wasting gas and feeling his manhood shrivel. He left the flowers.

…

Rachel had gone out to rent some appropriately-themed movies. She was lost in thought on her way back home, when she cut off another driver at the 4 –way stop, almost t-boning into the other car. Rachel, shocked back into reality, got out to apologize.

"Rach, you nearly clipped me!"

The other driver was Finn! "I'm so sorry! My behavior was inexcusable!"

"Pull over," said Finn.

"What? I don't know if exchanging insurance information is necessary in a near-miss."

"Just pull your car over out of the intersection, and let's talk while you calm down."

"Ok, that sounds like a reasonable suggestion."

Finn pulled his car over too and climbed into the passenger side of her tiny car. He was kinda crammed in, so he had to maneuver one arm around the back of her seat, with the other propped on the dashboard.

This was how Puck saw them on his way back from leaving the flowers. At first he didn't process what he was seeing. There was Finn's car, on the side of the road, then there was Rachel's car. He could make out the two of them inside Rachel's car, with Finn's frame hulking over her. Puck didn't do anything but squeal his tires through the stop and drive home.

Rachel was facing Finn, so she heard the tires squeal, but she didn't see the driver and didn't think much of it. Finn saw Puck's truck, but thought there was no reason to alert Rachel to the identity of the driver.

"Rachel, can I ask you what's going on between you and Puck?"

"Sure." Finn waited for her to elaborate. She didn't.

"Well, why are you mad at him? Are you ready to talk about it?"

She nodded. She decided to tell him. Everything. Mostly. She felt a sense of relief to talk about it, but also a sense of anxiety as she waited to see how Finn would react.

Finn felt like she had dropped lead weights on his chest. Quinn and Puck, _again_? But he decided to focus on helping Rachel. "So are you mad about what he did or that he didn't tell you?"

"Well, both."

"You're right that he was wrong. But I'm not sure if you're right not to forgive him. Didn't you tell me people make mistakes?" She nodded reluctantly. "And there's a big difference between doing something to hurt someone and doing something wrong to try to _avoid_ hurting someone. I think that first Puck did something wrong _somewhat unintentionally_, and then he _intentionally_ hid it to avoid hurting you."

"Wow Finn, that was really insightful!" Yeah, Finn had even surprised himself with that. Rachel continued, "You're a good friend."

"Thanks, Rach, I try," he smiled. "I've been doing some thinking about me and Quinn and Puck along those lines. Of course, I haven't decided if _I_ can forgive them yet, especially Quinn. Don't know if I could trust her again, you know?"

"You're right, they were wrong in what they did to you, Finn. Quinn was being selfish, but she was probably scared. And I know that Noah was following what Quinn told him to do. Neither of them wanted to hurt you. But you have every right to be cautious."

"Yeah, maybe I should forgive them," Finn said dismissively. "But forgiving someone doesn't mean you have to go back to _dating_ them."

"That's true," Rachel replied. She didn't bother to correct his grammar.

"I still think it's better that we're all just friends," Finn emphasized. "Because first they were together last year, then they kissed this year. It just proves the point I made at the dance, Rach. There's something between them. They make sense together. And I still think you and me make sense together." Finn paused for Rachel's reaction. She didn't smile like he'd hoped, but she did look thoughtful. He continued, "But for now, maybe we all make sense as friends—who should carefully try to avoid hurting each other. Build up trust and stuff."

"Finn, you've made some excellent points. I need to really think hard about them. Thank you, I think I am calm enough to continue my drive home."

They parted ways, and Finn started to think about what could have been if he had only picked Rachel over Quinn sooner.

…

While Rachel pondered the thought of returning to the friendship option, which she had wanted to maintain when she first started the school year; Noah Puckerman was realizing that he couldn't be _friends_ with Rachel Berry. He knew he couldn't be on the sidelines, perfectly content to see her with Finn (or any other guy, but especially Finn). He needed her to be in his life as his girl or not at all.

…

Rachel came home, entering through the garage. She was disappointed that she didn't smell any dinner cooking, but her dads had probably ordered something as usual. Her dads were enjoying some wine, listening to music, but the lyrics Rachel overheard cut a little too close.

_I wanna come over_

_To hell with the consequence_

_You told me you loved me_

_That's all I believe_

_I wanna come over_

_It's a need I can't explain_

_To see you again_

_I wanna come over_

Rachel scurried upstairs and closed her bedroom door. But the sound was enough for her dads to realize she was home. They looked at each other and both took deep breaths as they headed upstairs.

"These flowers were left for you today." She took the bouquet, which had been arranged in a vase.

"Daisies, lilies, and roses," she murmured.

"There's a card."

The card had her name, with a gold star. He bought gold star stickers, she thought in wonder. On the other side of the card she read his message, "I'm sorry. Please talk to me. NP"

"Thank you for putting these in water for me."

"You're welcome. Now, Rachel, it's time to talk to us. What is he sorry for? You said he didn't hurt you physically, right?"

"Yes, that's true. He most definitely did not hurt me physically."

"Take advantage of you?"

"No."

"Cheat on you?"

She nodded slowly. "He sort of cheated on me."

"How can he _sort of_ cheat on you? And when did you two become an item? The last we knew, you went to a dance with that Finn character even though we thought you liked the boy with the mohawk. NP, that's the Mohawk Boy, right?"

"That's right. Noah Puckerman."

"So?"

"Well, after I went to the dance with Finn, Noah and I decided to start dating." That wasn't quite true, but Rachel couldn't bear to tell her dads the whole truth of the 'friends with benefits' situation.

"But then I found out that Noah kissed his date after the dance." She didn't want to mention the almost-sex part. Because then her dads would get more suspicious about sexual activity than they would for a seventeen year-old boy in general.

"Uh, Rach, sweetie, don't you think you're being a little hard on him?"

(No, not if you knew the whole story!) "Maybe, but the girl, she's…" Oh, she couldn't say it was Quinn Fabray and Noah was the father of her baby. Then they'd be really suspicious. And they'd probably hate Noah. She didn't want that to happen just in case they got back together.

"Well, they just have this…history. So now I'm always wondering if he's going to go back to her, or if he's thinking of her instead of me."

"Oh sweetie, those are tough questions. And you're young. I know it doesn't seem like it, but life will go on. So you need to decide what's important to you. I think your dad and I would say that your future and your career are more important than making yourself sick over a boy." Her other dad nodded in agreement and rubbed her shoulder.

"You're young," he repeated. "Your relationships should be fun, not painful. If you would feel better giving him another chance, do that. If you would feel better cutting him out of your life to let yourself get over him, do that."

"Thanks for the advice. I will have to think about those options for a little while." This was one time when Rachel would have liked to have a mother to commiserate with her about boys. Even though they were gay men, her dads were men. And they liked to give advice instead of validating her feelings. Well, they probably would have validated her feelings if she had told them everything instead of only little bits that made her seem like she was over-reacting.

"Don't take too long to make your choice. You can't miss another day of school, sweetie. You're our little star. You'll pull yourself together and show up at school tomorrow, ok?"

She nodded. She had a lot to think about in a short amount of time.

…

Rachel came to school the next day, and Puck noticed. He sent her a text, "C u at lunch?"

She didn't reply, but he kept a watchful eye out for her in the cafeteria. She never showed up. Instead, he got Kurt. Not a fair trade.

"I have a few questions for you Puckerman," said Kurt, in his most intimidating voice.

"What, does everyone check Berry's MySpace now? Even though you used to just ignore her except to make fun of her?"

"Is it such a shock to go from frenemy to friend? This, coming from the guy who used to slushy her, then dated her, twice? Don't think I missed the brief fling last year. I didn't. But this second time is clearly more intense, is that fair to say?"

"Whatever." Puck didn't know where this was going. But he didn't like it.

"I'll take that as an affirmative response. It is my duty, as Rachel's friend, recent though that friendship may seem, to ask you your intentions. Specifically, why are you pursuing Rachel so hard? Why don't you just leave her alone and go on to the next conquest?"

Puck just folded his arms across his chest and stuffed some fries in his mouth. Conquest? What a little shithead, he thought. Kurt just continued to stare at him with wide green eyes. "Gonna keep doin' that for the rest of lunch?" Puck asked with his mouth half-full.

"I'll do better than that; I'm going to pester you until you answer my question, no matter how long it takes." Kurt was pleased with his determination, but he didn't crack a smile. He kept up his threatening tactics.

"Fine," he sighed. "My intentions are the purest and noblest," he said in a mock Prince Charming voice.

Kurt clenched his teeth and the intimidation factor increased dramatically. "Ok, let's get this straight, Puck, if you don't answer my question, I am going to tell Rachel that you don't care about her and she should get over you. So you better answer me sincerely."

"Funny, I thought I was being sincere," Puck growled. "Fine, I miss her crazy-ass, I miss her annoying voice and her insane smile. It's not about a _conquest_. It's about her."

"I'll accept that answer. My suspicions are confirmed. You used a few too many insults to cover up your true feelings, but I see through you. I know it's hard not to try to be a badass." Kurt patted him on the shoulder. Puck jerked away.

"Well," Kurt continued. "I know you're on the edge of your seat, but rest assured that I will put in a good word for you with Miss Berry when I talk to her this weekend."

Puck shrugged back at Kurt. And he was alone again with his thoughts and his fries.

…

Rachel returned to glee club to learn that Mr. Schue had picked Artie's song "Love You Madly" as the third number for Sectionals. They had already started learning their parts, so even with only missing one day, Rachel was behind. She hated being behind. At least she had the training to catch up in no time. And at least she didn't have any duets with Noah in this song. If she had come back and they were practicing either of the other numbers for Sectionals, she might not have been able to handle it since both called for her to sing with him.

"What's wrong with you?, Puck asked accusingly. "You can't not eat."

"That's a double negative."

"I know what I said. And you know what I meant."

"I wasn't hungry."

"You'll waste away to nothing." He enclosed his thumb and forefinger around her wrist and shook it a little. "You're tiny."

She looked at him sadly. "Thanks for your concern."

"Of course I'm concerned."

She nodded. "Can we continue this later?"

"Yeah. Tonight after school?" She was finally going to talk to him!

"Um," she bit her lip, "not tonight." New Year's Eve had been exactly one week ago. An anniversary of sorts.

"Why?"

"I need time to gather my thoughts."

"What? What have you been doing this whole time you've been avoiding me?!"

She glared at him. "I've been _trying_ to think, but I've been a complete mess, that's what!"

"Ok, sorry." He took a step back, his hands up in surrender.

Her face turned from angry to near tears when she realized how she had yelled at him. Pull it together, Rachel, she told herself.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to focus on rehearsal today. I'm behind."

"Yeah, sure." He walked to the other side of the choir room.

Rachel could feel Noah staring at her throughout the rehearsal. She was still torn by her emotions. On one hand, she knew she wanted to be with Noah and he seemed to want to be with her. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if he was the one that she could trust with her heart. Sure, he hadn't intentionally broken her heart, but Puck sometimes just _does_ things. And there'd always be Quinn. She'd always be in his life. Rachel wasn't sure if she could take it.

She left the immediately after rehearsal.

Puck noticed and took the hint, not following her.

"Hold up, Mercedes," called Puck. She gave a little huff and turned to him, eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Do you really think another song would work? The last one did not have the desired effect."

"You gotta keep tryin', Puckerman. That girl lives and breathes music. That's the way to get to her. Well, she's also a walking dictionary, but you're better at songs than big words, so I'd go with the music route." He nodded. It wasn't an insult if it was true, right? Like Tina's definition of gossip.

"I'm actually surprised she didn't take to your first performance. If I were into you, it would've done the trick for me; and Rachel's crazy for you. She's plain crazy," Mercedes acknowledged to herself, "but crazy for you."

"Uh, yeah. Well thanks for the advice, Jones."

"So you wanna do that video?" she asked hopefully.

"Hell no."

"One more piece of advice then."

He sighed dramatically and turned towards her.

"Cool it on the creepy staring eyes, Broody. It's freakin' me out, so it's gotta be freakin' Rachel out."

He gave her his best creepy stare for the hell of it.

…

He serenaded her that night, for the second time that week. Puck noticed that Rachel's dads weren't home. It was Friday night, so they'd probably gone out. Still, he didn't go to the door.

Rachel heard rocks hitting her window. She stood in front of the pane for a few moments to make sure he saw her so she wouldn't get hit with a stray rock. He looked up at her expectantly. He started to panic when he didn't see her in the window, but moments later she was back, wrapped in a blanket. He stared up at her and she stared back wordlessly. So he shrugged. It was all a big cliché, he knew. And yes, he knew that word. He'd been spending all his time with Rachel Berry. The flowers, the rocks at her window, serenading her from outside her bedroom—cliché. But he didn't give a shit. It had worked countless times over the generations: girls responded to romantic boys. He hoped like hell it would work for him. Because if it didn't, he swore to himself that this would be the last time he would put himself out there to sing for Rachel Berry. He began strumming his guitar.

_Did you like the flowers I sent?  
You could've called to thank me  
Well, you could've called.  
_

Did he write this song? Rachel wondered at first. He had just sent her flowers.

_I tried to kiss you  
on Brooklyn Avenue  
But you got in your car, before I could move.  
_

_I've been falling like the rain  
But you've got your umbrella in my way.  
_

No, it sounds vaguely familiar, Rachel realized.

_Fists and fingers, tongues and teeth.  
I want to see you, I'm tired of my dreams;  
Nights of wishing, I could open my mouth  
And when I finally did speak, you were nowhere to be found._

_Yeah, I've been falling like the rain--  
You've got your umbrella in my way_

_I had the sun in my hands__; I had the sun in my hands_

_I had the sun, 'til you said you liked the rain.  
Well, I had it all in my hands, I had it all  
But I gave it all away-ay…_

_Did I scare you off, by being honest?  
How come we never see the end, until it's right there upon us?  
If you want, I can go away,  
But like the rain, I'll come again some other day._

_And I've been falling like the rain--  
But you've got your umbrella in my way again.  
One of these days I'm gonna show up in the sunshine _

_Be a little sunshower; Fall upon you make you rise up like a flower _

_And you can be my little daisy, be my daisy._

He smiled hesitantly at the conclusion. She'd better like this. He just sang about sunshine and flowers like he was in some kinda Disney movie. She gestured for him to come to the front door. But she wasn't smiling.

"Come in, I'll make you hot cocoa," she said flatly, no light in her eyes. "Your hands must be freezing."

"Yeah. Thanks."

She prepared it in silence as he rubbed his hands together to warm them. "Well, what did you think of my song?"

"It was nice."

"C'mon, I'm ready for one of your in-depth reviews here." He knew it was a bad sign that she was barely talking.

"I'm just doing this so you don't lose a finger. Here, warm your hands around the mug." He did.

"You're the smart one, so I don't have to tell you that the umbrella in that song is the wall, this thing you're putting up between us now. I'm going crazy to talk to you, and you won't let me in."

"Yes, I picked up on the themes of the song. It was a fitting choice." She was impressed with his astuteness, but she didn't have the emotional energy to compliment him further.

"Rach, why are we doing this to each other? If you didn't want to be with me, you wouldn't be this upset right?"

She sighed. "I just can't get the images out of my mind. You realize you and I almost had sex that night. _The same night_."

"Yeah, why do think I didn't have a good opportunity to bring it up?"

"Are you trying to be funny?"

"No." He wasn't.

"I think I need to be alone for a while."

"A while? What's that supposed to mean? Like right _now_ or you mean like you need _months_ of time alone?"

"Like right now. I told you specifically that I wasn't ready to see you tonight."

"You can't think about your feelings with me here? We can't talk to each other about it?" He was starting to yell.

"No! I can't _look_ at you right now without horrible images flooding my brain of you with Quinn!"

"Horrible? Kissing isn't _that_ bad."

"Maybe, but it's symbolic, she said more quietly. "Of our relationship and the entanglements that there will always be. I think you should think about your feelings for Quinn while I think about my feelings about this relationship."

"That's easy. I already know my feelings for Quinn. I already know my feelings for you."

"Well then indulge me and give me time. I know my feelings for you too. That's what makes this so hard. It's the relationship I'm unsure about. So you can think about our relationship too."

"How long?"

"Until I tell you I'm done," she snapped at him. And immediately regretted it.

"Whatever," he snapped back. "Thanks for the hot chocolate. And you're welcome for the flowers." He stood up abruptly and swung his guitar over his shoulder.

"Thank you," she said meekly, "I do love them. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Puck softened and slumped a little as he turned back to face her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you too," he said meaningfully. He reached out to touch her, hesitated, and let his arm fall to his side.

She nodded. "Please go now," she whispered. Puck gave a sharp nod and stepped through the doorway. Rachel closed the front door, then sank to the floor and cried.

**…**

**A.N.** Well, this chapter may have succeeded in angering Puck/Rachel fans, Finn/Quinn fans, and Quinn/Rachel friendship fans. I'm sorry, but that's where the characters took me. **Up next:** Puck finds something to do to fill his time while Rachel's figuring things out. I said some_thing_ not some_one_, so don't worry so much! Rachel starts to come to terms with her _true_ feelings. But Puck's not going to moon over Berry forever, got it? (Sorry, my personal Puck voice snuck in there.) The story will be turning the corner pretty soon, but I hope you can deal with the angst since I'm toning it down with gleek moments! Let me know!


	15. Heartbeat

**A.N.** Thanks for all your feedback—it's really been keeping this story going. Please consider taking the poll at the end of this chapter to direct the rest of the story! Thanks to **Alimard** for suggesting Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me"; to **Alimard and MissTerie** for indicating that some of Rachel's motivations were unclear; to **PoliVamp** for questioning Finn's motivations and requesting Mercedes; and to **chrpangel** for suggesting "Heartbeat" by Scouting for Girls. Italics are songs as usual. Bold italics mean group singing (you'll see why).

**Disclaimer.** I do not own Glee, Veronica Mars, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, or any songs. Also, OSU Lima is not a figment of my imagination, but I know nothing about it except that it exists.

…

**January, Junior Year**

It was Friday night, in the aftermath of Puck's appearance at Rachel's house.

When the tears finally stopped, Rachel pulled herself together. She knew she was being excessively emotional about everything, but she didn't think this situation was something she couldn't handle. Rachel was used to tackling problems on her own. Maybe with some tears, but she would always develop strategies to overcome anything life could throw at her. Rachel didn't think this was something Puck could fix; it was something that she must work through on her own. He did what he did; there was no changing that. And it wasn't so much what he did, but what she thought his actions meant for their relationship and the future.

So, Rachel approached her problems like the independent-thinker she had always been. She thought about what her dads said about relationships being fun, not painful. She thought about Finn's suggestion that everyone should try to be friends for awhile. She thought about her future. She thought about her feelings for Noah and his feelings for her. It seemed clear that she loved him, and he seemed to love her. But sometimes love isn't enough. Sometimes the boy you love has a daughter with the closest thing you have to an arch-rival; and sometimes the boy kisses that girl and then kisses you the same night. And sometimes you don't know if your heart can take the feeling of being second-best (and always to _that girl_), even when the boy assures you that you're not…

Unfortunately, Rachel was not used to being in a relationship. She didn't realize that shutting Puck out of her process of working through her feelings was actually detrimental to achieving a resolution.

…

Puck was surprised to get a text from Matt inviting him to a party Saturday night. Surprised because ever since last year, Puck had been on the outs with pretty much everyone in school except for Rachel. Everyone sided with Finn, and since Finn was always invited to every party, Puck had been pretty much uninvited, though it was unspoken. He probably could have shown up whenever he wanted, but he always had something better to do: Rachel Berry. Since he didn't have Rachel and her schedule to consider at the moment, he thought now would be a good time to re-enter the land of the living. So he replied to Matt that he was up for it.

…

Saturday morning, Rachel woke up early feeling like her head was cleared and she was ready to face Noah. She called him when she couldn't wait any longer, which was around 9am. Puck answered his phone, groggy from sleep.

"I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. Would you like to come over and have a talk about our relationship?"

"Why does this sound so bad?"

"I apologize, I don't mean to sound ominous. I would like to discuss our perspectives, like you asked. I think I can handle it now…without crying." (She was pretty dehydrated.)

Puck felt like shit that she'd been crying so much, but he had been trying everything he could. This was what he was waiting for—the chance to explain himself. So Puck got dressed and drove over, thinking about what to say now that he finally had the chance. Nothing special came to mind. Just 'I'm sorry', 'it didn't mean anything', and 'I wanna be with you'. He wished his brain worked better. Maybe if he didn't always fall asleep in Lit class he could think of some romantic shit to say. But he couldn't, so these were the basic things he told her when Rachel asked for his perspective and opinion.

She listened politely without even interrupting, which seemed like a good sign. Then she began her speech about her perspective and the symbolism in his actions and so on. And Puck tried to listen, he really did, but that girl can go on about nothing, so when it's about something, she really goes on and on and on… But Puck did pick up on her final sentence.

"Maybe we need to take a break and just be friends."

"No."

"No?"

"Rachel, there's no 'in between' with us. It's love or hate. All or nothing. I can't be around you anymore and just be you friend. You're an acquired taste, Berry, but now that I've had you, I can't go back to how things were before. It's like you're my crack, and that would make me your heroin, like we can't live without each other."

"That doesn't sound healthy."

"Well, shit, it's not a perfect metaphor, Berry. You're lucky I even came up with a metaphor. You get it, right? You're crack 'cause you're hyper as hell, and I'm heroin 'cause I chill you out."

"I do understand your choice of words, but maybe we shouldn't be each other's 'drugs'. Maybe it shouldn't be such a rollercoaster."

"What's the fun in that?" he smirked. She looked up at him with worry in her eyes.

"Ok, look, just think about it. And you take your time. But when you decide, it can't be halfway. We'll just kill each other slowly. I can't go through that shit. It's back together or clean break. Get back on the rollercoaster or get out of the park. That's what I can offer you."

He left her standing there. He couldn't keep pleading with her. This was up to her now. Shit, what had he done? No, he had to do it. He couldn't be around her as a friend now; she'd ruined him.

…

Shortly after Puck left, Kurt arrived at Rachel's. Rachel wearily answered the door.

"Kurt, what are you doing here?"

"Remember, I said I'd investigate Puck's feelings for you and report back?"

"Oh, yes, I recall. I'm not sure that's necessary any longer," she said resignedly. "Puck was just here to talk about our relationship."

"I'm glad to hear you're talking to him again, that's progress!"

"Actually, it might not last long. It depends on my decision regarding Puck's ultimatum."

"He gave you and ultimatum? I didn't know he knew that word," Kurt marveled.

"Well, he didn't say it was an ultimatum, but that's what it is. He said he can't just be friends. It's all or nothing." She explained a little bit of Puck's speech.

"Wow, you've gotta love a man with balls," Kurt said in awe. Rachel wrinkled her nose in disgust at Kurt's phrasing. "Seems like an easy choice to me," he shrugged. "I don't know why you didn't jump into his arms right then and there."

Why hadn't she, she wondered. What was holding her back? It must be a defense mechanism to protect herself from being hurt. Whenever she felt threatened, she would tell herself to focus on her future and her career. Pulling away is what she always does—she did it with Finn when he hurt her, and she was doing it now with Noah. "It's not that easy," she answered simply. She wasn't ready to explain her little realization about herself.

"Well, I think you should take some cues from couples in pop culture."

Rachel eyed him warily.

"You, my dear, are in an 'epic' relationship a la Veronica and Logan. Puck is right. The rollercoaster is better than being in a boring relationship because it's easier. Big downs mean big ups. If you stayed on a flat course, you'd know there wasn't enough passion there. What you two seem to have in abundance is passion. And that's a good thing."

"Wow, Kurt, you seem to have given this a lot of thought," Rachel said in surprise.

Kurt shrugged. "Not as much thought as you should be giving it."

"Kurt! You have no idea what I've been going through thinking about this!" Rachel was on the verge of tears.

"Shh, Shh," Kurt tried to calm her down. "I didn't mean that you're not thinking about it. I just meant that I'm not thinking about it as much as you are." Rachel sniffled and prevented the tears from falling. "Hey, why don't we watch a movie or something?" tried Kurt.

"Sure. I just rented some." Rachel displayed the array of movies.

"Why didn't you rent Forgetting Sarah Marshall?" asked Kurt.

"Why would I rent a raunchy comedy from a few years ago?"

"Because of the miraculous Kristen Bell, of course. But also because it contains a life lesson pertinent to your situation. Heck, Mila Kunis' character is even named Rachel!"

"That's a coincidence."

"Of course it is, but it will be easier for you to see yourself in this Rachel. You've seen it, right?"

"It's been a while."

"Well, Puck is Jason Segel's character, and Quinn is Kristen Bell's character."

"Ok?"

"So, if you recall, Jason and Kristen were former flames, but she broke it off. Jason meets the Rachel character while he's on vacation, and they start dating, but he's just on vacation. Through various comedic and dramatic circumstances, Jason comforts Kristen after her new boyfriend broke up with her, and Kristen tries to re-kindle their romance. She does this by offering him a blow job, but mid-blow job Jason stops her because of Rachel. Kind of like Puck with Quinn, but Puck didn't get all the way to blow job I presume."

"Kurt! Must you be so vulgar?"

"What? Seriously, like your no-longer-innocent ears can't hear that? I'm more innocent than you are, Rachel Berry!"

"Kurt!"

"What? It's just a fact, and you can't dispute that. Besides, I don't think it's any better if I say 'fellatio' do you?"

She wrinkled her nose. "No, you're right. That may even be worse."

"Anyway, _Rachel_ eventually forgave Jason, and girl, Jason Segel is no Noah Puckerman. Puck is one fine piece of man-meat, and his personality is becoming more tolerable since he's been around you. Besides, now that I've wowed you with my logical argument using pop culture references as shining examples, I can tell you that Puck is completely and surprisingly in love with you."

"Really? Wait, did he say 'surprisingly in love'?"

"No, I was editorializing."

"So all you have is guesswork," sighed Rachel.

"And Puck's words and actions," Kurt reminded her.

"Well, yes. Actually, I have come to the conclusion that we're both in love with each other. But I'm not sure that we should be in a romantic relationship right now. If we're meant to be together, we'll get back together. But maybe we should work on just being friends. It was actually Finn who made that illuminating suggestion."

"You're taking advice from Finn?! Don't you think he has his own agenda?"

"No?"

"You know he has ways of saying and doing things to get what he wants. He may be naïve, but you're really naïve if you think that you should listen to anything Finn says about you and Puck."

"Well I'm sure Finn wasn't trying to be devious. He sounded really sincere."

"I'm sure he was sincere, really. But you have to know that after things broke down with Quinn, he was all about you. It was obvious. And he was pretty devastated after you two broke up."

"How would you know? We both went to show choir camp that summer right after I broke up with him."

"I have sources everywhere."

"Dare I ask?"

"Brit kept me in the Lima loop while we were away at camp."

She should have known. "Well, I guess I should rethink the conversation I had with Finn".

"Yes, you should. Sounds like a good opportunity for a sleepover and group discussion. The boys are having a guys' night out tonight, so we should have a night in."

"Guys' night out? How do you know about this if you're not going?"

"They asked. I declined to be their designated driver. Anyway, let's discuss your situation more when I bring the reinforcements. I'll gather the usual suspects and we'll be here tonight."

…

The usual suspects were Tina and Mercedes, who arrived with Kurt at Rachel's that evening. "Don't worry, I've already told the ladies everything, so no need to re-hash," Kurt announced breezily. Tina and Mercedes nodded.

"But I don't get why the serenade didn't work," said Mercedes. "I feel bad because Puck asked me if I thought another song would help, and I told him definitely."

"Oh!" exclaimed Rachel. "Wow, he asked you for advice?"

"Yeah, surprised me too. But I was giving advice for free earlier, so I guess it makes sense."

"Well, I shouldn't be so upset at him then for coming over the night I specifically asked him not to," said Rachel, thinking aloud.

"Why didn't you want him to come over yesterday?" asked Tina.

"Well, it may sound silly…but it was one week ago yesterday that we…consummated our relationship. I just didn't want to deal with the thought of Noah with Quinn and everything on that day, I guess."

"Oh, girl, I'm sorry." Mercedes felt bad for her role in promoting Puck's visit to Rachel that day, even if it was with good intentions.

"It's ok. Thanks for mentioning it. Now I know more of the story."

"Good, now you're on the right track to working things out with him," said Kurt. "Puck is quite a specimen; you're probably not going to do any better than that."

"Kurt! I'm not that shallow!" (Well, she hoped) Then Rachel hung her head, "But that's part of the problem, I don't think I'm good enough for him. He'll find someone better, like Quinn."

"Are you crazy?! Let me rephrase that; are you even crazier than we all thought? You're perfect for each other. You both have abrasive personalities, you're both stubborn as hell, and you're both madly in love with each other." Kurt tried to reason with her, albeit in a mildly insulting manner. It was his way.

"But if we're so similar, how can we work as a couple?"

"Ah, but you have important differences. You're fiercely driven. He's laid-back—a little too laid-back. Together, you could be much more normal."

"So you think I'm being too sensitive about his lingering feelings for Quinn and how they'll drive him to take actions that will lead to my heartbreak and possible demise?"

"Your demise?" questioned Tina.

"Too dramatic?"

"Quite," answered Kurt.

"But it really feels like dying."

"Alright, come here. Let me give you a hug. Group hug!" Kurt commanded. "Now listen to me, it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

Rachel squirmed to free herself. "You don't think I've heard that before?"

"I don't think you're applying it. Think about what you will regret more. Really think about it. You could be missing the opportunity to have something good with Noah Puckerman because you're scared of a little heartbreak."

Tina could tell that Rachel was getting emotional. She elbowed Kurt, "I think we can let Rachel reflect on those things on her own. Maybe we should get to the movie portion of the evening." Rachel flashed Tina a grateful smile.

"Ok," sighed Kurt. "Let me take a look at those movie options again." Kurt selected The Notebook as the movie they should watch together. Of course, it induced a good cry for them all.

Rachel slept fitfully that night; dreaming vaguely of starlight and limelight, doorways and stages, white knights and golden statues, destiny and possibility. She awoke briefly a few times, haunted and compelled to remember her dreams. But by morning she would only have a lingering feeling that there was something important in the themes of her dreams that she would never recall consciously.

…

Puck was not similarly tortured on Saturday night. Matt stopped by to pick him up.

"Where are we going, man?" Puck asked. All he knew was that Matt's cousin was having a party.

"We're going to OSU Lima. My cousin Damien has a place near campus."

"I thought most people who went to Lima lived at home to save money."

"Yeah, but there's a full house at my aunt's. Plus with the money he saved in tuition, he could afford to rent a house with some friends."

"Cool."

Matt arrived at Mike's and gave the horn a blast. Mike hopped into the back of Matt's SUV. "Puckerman! Good to see you out and about!"

"Good to be seen. So are we heading out now?"

"No, we're picking up Finn," answered Matt.

"Really? You do realize that you passed his house when you picked me up?"

"We didn't tell Finn we invited you," Mike shrugged. "He won't realize you're here until he gets in the car. No big."

"Right," Puck rolled his eyes. This night might not be as cool as he thought.

"Hey, guys!" Finn greeted them happily when he got in the car. Then he noticed the Mohawk. "What's he doing here?"

"He's coming to the party," Mike explained simply. Finn sulked in the back but didn't say anything more.

They didn't have to drive too far to get to the OSU Lima campus and Damien's place. Matt parked across the street. They could hear the music pumping. As Puck got out of the passenger side, he noticed a flier for a band. The flier had a graphic logo "The Relentless" and a message "seeking backup vocalist and guitarist for established band with frontman, bassist, and drummer". Puck ripped the flier off of the pole and stuck it in his pocket. If the party sucked (or if Finn sucked), he'd bail and check out the band. The address was on the same street.

"Alright, before we head in, who's gonna DD?" asked Matt.

A chorus of "not it" ended with Finn being the loser of the game, as usual. "Dammit, guys!"

"You're the best-est designated driver we know," teased Mike.

"That's 'cause I'm always the DD!"

"Yep!"

"Why didn't you ask Kurt to come and DD?" Puck asked Matt. Everyone knew they couldn't ask Artie since underage drinking and dads as chauffeurs don't mix.

"Actually, I did," replied Matt. "Kurt said his allegiance is with the girls. Plus my cousin would probably kick my ass and his if I brought him." Then he leaned over to Puck, "It'll be hard enough getting Hudson and Chang to blend in."

"True," Puck chuckled. Matt was right. Finn stuck out like a sore thumb. A giant white goofy thumb—in a McKinley lettermen's jacket. The others didn't need to be told that at a college party you don't bring attention to the fact that you're in high school. Finn however, hadn't even thought about it. Chang appeared to be the only Asian dude there, but he was cool with that since it wasn't too unusual for him.

And Chang wasn't really interested in blending in. "Hey, I can pop and lock!" he shouted, as soon as he heard a song with the appropriate beat. This started a mini-dance contest that was pretty cool to watch—which Puck did. Matt and Mike were great dancers. Puck knew he wasn't up for that challenge. He could beat Finn, but that wasn't saying much. Matt's cousin Damien and a couple other college guys joined in, entering the center of the circle that was forming around the dancers.

"I rule!" shouted Mike, arms in the air. The small crowd that had gathered to watch the impromptu dance-off laughed and cheered.

"Hey, what's up with this?! I'm the host of this party. Y'all should be cheering for me!" cried Damien Rutherford.

"But he's an awesome dancer and hilarious to watch!" came a shout from the crowd.

"I rule!" Mike repeated, and did a victory dance. "What do I win?"

"You get the first drink from the next keg we tap," said Damien, knowing that he didn't have a second keg.

"Sweet!"

The music must have been from the radio, because next Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" began playing over the sound system.

_Hey, slow it down (whataya want from me)  
Whataya want from me  
Yeah I'm afraid (whataya want from me)  
Whataya want from me_

"Hey, it's Puck's theme song!" shouted Finn.

_There might have been a time  
And I would give myself away  
Oooh once upon a time I didn't give a damn  
But now, here we are so whataya want from me  
Whataya want from me...  
_

Could this be a bonding moment, Puck wondered. Did Finn get how he feels? Then suspicion kicked in. "Wait, how would you know?" Puck asked Finn.

"Well," Mike explained, "most of us in glee noticed you and Rachel suddenly like, together, and then you did that whole song for her, and then she's been avoiding you… It doesn't take a genius to think that 'Whataya Want From Me' might be a fitting song for you."

"Yeah, I guess I can see that. It did come from Finn, and he's no genius."

"Hey, dude, not cool."

"Not cool? How 'bout you hanging all over Rachel the other day? I saw you in her car."

"Yeah, I saw you too. And she told me everything. What you did." Finn narrowed his eyes at Puck.

"Dude, what'd you _do_?" whispered Mike. Puck just elbowed him to tell him to lay off it.

"He did something he shouldn't have," answered Finn cryptically. "But I even stuck up for you. I told Rachel she should forgive you and that we should all try to be friends."

"So that's where that friend bullshit came from."

"She told you she wants to be friends? Awesome!" Finn couldn't hide his happiness at this news.

"You know what? I can't stay here or I'll do something I regret." Puck clenched and unclenched his fist. "I'm gonna check out the band audition on this flier." Puck shoved his plastic cup to Finn. "Here, drink up. I've only had half a beer, so I'll be the DD. You enjoy yourself, Finn. Gimme Matt's keys. I'll be back to make sure I get you girls home safe by 1am." And with that, Puck headed out the door.

Finn was glad Puck left. It was a relief. He hadn't been happy to see Puck in the first place, but then realized Matt had invited him to help him get out of his funk over Rachel, so he thought maybe if Puck got back to his old ways, that would help keep Puck and Rachel apart.

It's not that Finn was completely against the two of them as a couple. Well, he wasn't happy about it, but when Rachel told him how things would be at the Winter Dance, he was willing to accept it. But then when Rachel told him about Puck and Quinn making out, Finn got upset again—almost as upset as he had when Rachel told him about the baby—because it was like a reminder all over again. He couldn't help but think of his choice sophomore year, when he had kissed Rachel in the auditorium. He should have picked Rachel then. They had grown apart, and when they tried to date at the end of sophomore year, Rachel had ended things. Finn didn't really know why she did that, and he didn't know why they grew apart. But he knew that the only way he stood a chance with Rachel is if she got over Puck.

…

Puck checked the address on the flier. This was the place. He saw a light on in the garage, and as he walked up the driveway, he heard music. Definitely the right place. He didn't know what else to do, so he started knocking on the garage door. After he had banged on the door for awhile, the door began opening, putting him face to face with the garage band trio.

"Well?" asked the guy who appeared to be the lead singer. He was a skinny dude with blond hair and stubble, but something about him made Puck think that he worked really hard to look like he wasn't trying to look good.

"I'm here to audition to be the guitarist."

"That's funny. You don't have a guitar."

Puck gave a nervous laugh, which surprised him. "Yeah, I was at a party down the street. I saw your flier. Came by. Is the spot still open?"

The blond guy held up his finger to indicate 'one moment', then he conferred with the drummer and bassist. Both the drummer and the bassist knew that this guy with the Mohawk was already on Josh's bad side. First, the dude was ripped, with certainly intimidated their egocentric lead singer. Second, he had a _Mohawk_. What the fuck? Third, he didn't bring his own guitar. And Josh does not part with his guitar for anybody. But they wanted to hear the dude play, which they both told Josh.

"Yeah, it's still open," Josh told Puck. "But you'll have to borrow our _backup_ guitar. And you better not fuck it up."

"That's cool." Puck walked to pick up the guitar.

"I'm Josh, by the way. That's Trey on drums and Eddie on bass."

"Tray? Like a lunch tray?" Puck wasn't trying to insult the guy, he just wasn't sure what was up with that name.

The band exchanged amused looks. "Actually, Trey is my nickname, for the third."

"Let me introduce you," said Eddie with a fake British accent. "This is Charles Reginald Waterford the Third." Trey gave a little hat tip and bow. "I'm Eddie Alvarez," he said in his normal voice. "That's Josh Jordan. And you are?"

"Puck—Puckerman."

"Puck Puckerman? What the hell kind of name is that?" laughed Josh.

"I mean, my name's Noah Puckerman, but only my family and my girl call me Noah. To everyone else, I'm Puck or Puckerman."

"Ah, he's got a girl," said Eddie as he elbowed Trey.

"So where is she?" asked Josh. He actually hoped this guy did have a girl because otherwise he was afraid that Puck Puckerman would be stepping on his action.

"I'm just out with the guys tonight," Puck answered casually.

"Uh-huh. So you're here to be the second guitarist. You know the part includes singing backup too, right? You do sing, don't you?"

"Yeah, I play guitar, a little piano, and I sing."

"Dude, you're like an emo musician, trapped inside a cross between an Abercombie model and a punk!" exclaimed Trey.

"Uh, is that a compliment or an insult?" asked Puck.

"Just an observation," shrugged Trey.

"This guy's funny," said Eddie gesturing to Puck. Then he turned to Trey. "Dude, you are so gay!"

"I'm a fine arts major, big difference," defended Trey.

Puck had no idea what to make of this exchange. He didn't know what being a fine arts major had to do with anything (and he didn't know what a fine arts major was).

"Alright already," said Josh. "A few questions for you, Puckerman, before we consider your audition. One, we will be playing bars. Are you at least 21?"

Puck nodded. He had a fake that said he was 22.

"Two, what is your reason for joining a band?"

"The distraction," Puck said automatically. That's what it was about to him. That answer puzzled Josh because usually guys answered something about girls, money, or fame. Distraction was a new one.

"Three, are you some kinda steroid-pumping freak? In other words, what's with the bulked-up frame and the Mohawk?"

Puck huffed a little. "I lift weights because I play, I mean played, football and stuff. So yeah, all natural." He gave them a peek of the gun show because clearly these burnouts were out of their league around him. Then he ran his hand through his hair. "And the hair is because I like it and don't give a shit what anyone else thinks about it."

The guys in the band nodded at Puck's display. "Are you prepared to commit time to practicing and playing gigs to make money?" Josh asked, seemingly unimpressed.

"Yeah, I just have certain, uh, scheduling restrictions."

"We all have jobs or classes," Eddie shrugged. He thought this Puck guy seemed pretty cool.

"Ok, we'll worry about scheduling issues later _if_ you get in the band. Let's hear it," declared Josh.

Puck decided to play Pearl Jam's "The Fixer" since he knew he could rock that one (even if Rachel had run out of the music room after he had played it for her). He could tell he was kicking ass because Eddie and Trey looked impressed and Josh looked uncomfortable. When he finished, nobody clapped, but he wasn't really expecting them to cheer.

"So, you picked a pretty good song because our band plays covers of alterna-rock and some of our own stuff," said Josh. "But we try to stick to music the crowd can jump around to, dance to, and/or sing along to, you know? Besides being good at playing and singing, we have to be charismatic; we have to draw in the ladies to the venues, so we can make money on the cover charge. You said you have a girl, but are you willing and able to be chick-bait?"

"Dude!" Puck exclaimed, extending his arms, "Just look at me! I am like cat nip for the ladies." Trey and Eddie nodded at each other in agreement. They didn't have to be homos to see that this guy did not have trouble with the ladies, even with that ridiculous Mohawk.

"Alright, Sporto, here's your final test if you choose to accept it. See those two chicks out there?" Josh gestured to two girls who looked like they were either going to or coming from some party. "We're going to play one of the songs in our repertoire that lures the women. Here's your chance to prove that you're the pussy nip you say you are, and that you can learn fast, play second guitar, and sing backup instead of lead. Up for the challenge?"

"Bring it."

"Heartbeat, guys," Josh commanded. And they began playing a song Puck had never heard in his life. He might be in trouble.

_Am I alone in your heart?  
Have I a hope with your heart?  
She's such a teaser, she's such a star  
Give me a reason or gimme a chance_

_Am I alone in your heart? Am I alone?  
It tears me apart. Am I alone?_

_**Doing all I can do, just to be close to you.  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat.  
Always up for a laugh, she's a pain in the ass  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat.**_

Puck barked a short laugh at the lyrics 'pain in the ass'. Josh shot him a glare. Puck ignored him. He thought about how the lyrics fit Rachel Berry pretty damn well. The guitar riff was pretty easy to catch on to—now for the lyrics…

_Give me an evening, or give me a night.  
I'll show you the time, of your life  
I'll walk you home safe, from the dark  
I'll give you my jacket, I'll give you my heart_

_But she won't come dancing tonight,  
She's having the time of her life  
Am I alone?_

_Doing all I can do, just to be close to you _

Puck caught on to the repetition in the lyrics and joined in with Eddie and Trey singing backup.

_Every time that we meet, __**I skip a heartbeat  
Always up for a laugh, she's a pain in the ass  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat**_

_I do love, she does heartbreak  
I did love, till she broke my heart  
I do love, she does heartbreak  
I did love, till she broke my heart  
__**I do love, **__she does heartbreak__**  
**__I did love, till she broke my heart  
__**I do love, **__she does heartbreak  
I did love, till she broke my heart _

Yeah, this sounded like him and Rachel too. Damn song.

_**Skip another heartbeat for you**_

_Doing all I can do, just to be close to you  
Every time that we meet, I skip a __**heartbeat **__  
__**Always up for a laugh, she's a pain in the ass  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat  
I skip a heartbeat for you.  
**_

The girls were heading up the street, then up the driveway to the open garage. He flashed them one of smirks. Hey, he did what he had to do to get in the band. If that meant luring women with his sex appeal, so help him, he was willing to make that sacrifice. The girls giggled, proving that he had their attention.

_  
__**Doing all I can do, just to be close to you  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat  
Always up for a laugh, she's a pain in the ass  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat**_

_I skip a heartbeat for you..._

"Hey, ladies," said Puck smoothly, with a nod. Wow, he hadn't used his skills in a while. But when you've got it, you've got it.

"Hey," said one of the girls. "You guys are really good." She included everyone, but she was staring at Puck seductively.

Puck just smirked and nodded. He knew he was just the bait, and he could tell that Josh would freak out if Puck took all of the attention.

"Thanks," said Josh. "Care to stay a while and watch us practice?"

"Sure, we can hang out for awhile, right Kel?" The other girl agreed easily.

"Well, the Mohawked guy here is new, so forgive us if he's a little off." Puck rolled his eyes at Josh's putdown. Whatever. He'd just been told indirectly that he was in the band. And it's not like he was planning to get with either of these chicks anyway.

…

"Puck took the flier, so we don't know the address to the place. He's not answering his phone, and he took Matt's keys since he decided to be the DD!" Mike was panicking and rambling.

"What are we gonna do? It's almost 1am!" Finn was panicking too.

Matt interrupted their mini-breakdown. "Guys, I just got a text from Puck. He says he's on his way back here."

Puck walked up to Matt's car a few minutes later, where the guys had all gathered to wait on him.

"So did you make it into the band?" Matt asked.

"Of course, I made it," Puck said with his signature confidence. "Sorry I missed your calls. They had me start playing with them right away, and we ended up drawing a small crowd of chicks."

"Nice, man!" Matt congratulated him with a pat on the back before they all climbed into his car.

"So you're over Rachel?" asked Finn, a little enthusiastically from the back seat.

"What? No! I just said we played songs in front of a few girls."

"Well, the Puck I know wouldn't _just_ play guitar in front of a few girls."

"Guess what? You don't know me very well. We've barely spoken in almost a year!" Puck was nearly yelling at Finn. They glared at each other through the rearview mirror.

"Guys! Chill out!" shouted Matt.

"Fine," said Puck. "But tell Finn to take off that stupid lettermen's jacket. If we get pulled over for being out after curfew, I have a fake id to say that curfew doesn't apply to us. That story will be ruined if dillhole back there is flaunting his high school jacket."

"Finn, Puck says to," Mike began relaying the message.

"Yeah, I heard him," Finn grumbled.

…

Puck awoke the next day to his mom knocking on his bedroom door.

"Honey, you have visitors! Wake up!"

"Visitors? Who the hell would be here on Sunday morning?" _Multiple _visitors? It couldn't be the guys since they had all been up as late as he had been.

"Noah, it's Sunday _afternoon_ now. And watch your language!" his mom called through the door. "Get dressed and get down here!"

Puck threw on some sweats and headed downstairs to meet whoever the hell had come to his house.

"Kurt? Tina, Mercedes? Whoa, Artie, how the hell did you even get in here?"

Artie nodded. "It was a challenge, believe me."

"Yeah, sorry. Our house isn't exactly wheelchair-friendly."

"It's ok," he shrugged. "Most aren't."

"So to what do I owe this dubious honor?"

"Dubious?" Tina questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess I've been hanging around Rachel too much," Puck mumbled.

"Well," began Kurt, taking over. "We're here to discuss your current situation."

"Uh, ok?"

"First, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry I told you to sing to Rachel," said Mercedes. "She knows that it was my idea now."

"Oh that's cool, thanks. It was still my decision to go on Friday. I just wanted to make things right as soon as possible, you know?"

They all nodded. The girls (and Kurt) were swooning internally at Puck's sweetness. Even Artie thought that Puck was like a completely different version of himself now that he was with Rachel. Artie wondered briefly if Puck really had multiple personalities. But he kept the thought to himself.

"So I heard about your ultimatum to Berry," stated Kurt.

"Ulti-what?"

Puck was greeted by a comical series of eye rolls from the gleeks. "Puck, you just said 'dubious', we have no doubt that you know the word 'ultimatum'," said Kurt.

"Fine. What about it?"

"We had a girls' night," Kurt gestured to the girls and himself. "Then we grabbed Artie as an outside consultant. We're come up with a few questions for you to ponder. Number one: Have you considered that neither one of you know how to behave in a relationship?"

"I guess."

"So what makes you think that having no part of her at all is better than being friends?"

"I just know. It was better for me when I just screwed around and didn't care about anything. Maybe I don't deserve to be happy, but I'd rather feel nothing than feel…you know…hurt or whatever. I can't have her coming over to talk to me as her _friend_ to share her feelings and shit about Finn or whoever. I'm not that guy."

"I see," said Kurt, as everyone was taking in Puck's mini-revelation. "So you're just going to sit around waiting for Rachel to choose?"

"I guess," he shrugged. "I've picked up something to do in my spare time."

"Do tell." Kurt's eyes gleamed and Mercedes and Tina leaned in to hear the news. Even Artie wheeled himself closer.

"I joined a band with some guys who go to OSU Lima."

"Ooh, fun! Is it the kind of band where you need guyliner?" asked Kurt. Kurt could almost see a question mark forming over Puck's head. "Eyeliner, applied in a manly way for guys," he explained.

"No."

"Too bad. I would've been happy to help you apply it to those broody hazel eyes."

"Are you flirting with me? Berry said you liked some guy named Alex."

"So?"

"You're doing this on purpose to make me uncomfortable, aren't you?"

"Is it working?"

"Yes."

"Enough of this nonsense," said Mercedes, giving Kurt a warning look. "We came by because we don't want to see either of you miserable. We thought that maybe you _could_ be friends."

"But I think we get why you really couldn't," Tina jumped in quickly. The others looked at her questioningly. At least Tina understood why Puck had said that. She knew what it was like to close herself off from others for the fear of getting hurt. She could understand why Puck would want to go back to being closed off from Rachel as a form of self-protection. "We think Rachel's a heartbeat away from making her decision," Tina continued. "And we'll do what we can to help sway her in the right direction," she tried to sound encouraging.

"We're rooting for you, Puckerman," smiled Mercedes as she gave him a little punch in the shoulder.

"Ok, thanks, I guess," said Puck. "Remind me, was there a point to this intervention?"

"Well, we were going to try to convince you to give the friendship idea a chance until you pulled out your sob story," said Mercedes, as she received a glare from Puck. "And we just wanted to make sure you didn't screw anything up in the process of getting back with Rachel," she finished.

"You do know it was Finn who planted that friendship idea in her head, right?"

"Yeah, that what Kurt told us."

"So you know it's a bunch of crap then."

They nodded. "I'm glad we agree on that point _now_," said Kurt with a look of mild disdain towards his co-conspirators. "I tried to convince these three of that fact after I worked on convincing Rachel it was crap too."

"Well, then I don't really know what else to do besides let Rachel make up her mind," said Puck.

"You're probably right," said Artie. "We'll handle the rest."

"Gee thanks," Puck started sarcastically, "I'm relieved to know that the Scooby gang is on the case."

Another series of eye rolls.

"I'll be Fred, obviously," declared Kurt. "You ladies will have to fight over who's Daphne." Neither Tina nor Mercedes had any desire to fight over this designation.

"Alright, I think we're done here," said Artie. "Puck, a little help?"

Puck helped the gang get Artie's chair down the steps at the entry to his house. Apparently, Kurt had driven Artie's dad's van over to his house. Puck gave a nod and wave before he went back into the house.

Who would've thought that his junior year he'd be trying to survive dating Rachel Berry, arguing with the jocks (when they weren't avoiding him), and getting chick advice from kids who used to be scared of him? Oh, and that he would be in a kickass band? Well, maybe he could have seen that last one coming.

…

**A.N.** **Readers' Poll: Please tell me where you want the story to end and what you care about.**

1. Where should the story end?

a. When Rachel and Puck get back together (or shortly thereafter) since there's not much more left to say after that

b. After Rachel and Puck get back together and stay established, but after they've had Valentine's Day their Junior Year

c. After Rachel and Puck get back together and stay established, but after they've had Junior Prom (April)

2. Besides the Rachel/Puck storyline, are there any other storylines you want to see tied up before the end?

a. No, I'm in it for Puckleberry only.

b. Yes, what happens to Quinn and Finn should be included.

c. Yes, what happens to friendships should be included. (Feel free to tell me your favorite, including but not limited to: Finn/Puck, Puck/Quinn, Rachel/Quinn, More gleeks in general, etc.)

d. Both b and c.

3. Do you want any other dramatic things to happen for Puck and Rachel? I wasn't planning on it, but reviews prompted me to wonder if you want any of these options:

a. No more drama, they've suffered enough.

b. Yes, Finn should kiss Rachel or something so we get jealous!Puck.

c. Yes, a situation should come up so we get jealous!Rachel.

d. Both b and c.

4. Do you care about the results of Regionals and Nationals? (Nationals are set for the end of March.)

a. No.

b. Yes, but no details of the events are needed.

c. Yes, and some details would be nice.

5. Do you prefer a scene with a light-M rating to be included in pivotal times (Reuniting, Vday, Prom)?

a. No. Unnecessary/icky. Keep it T please.

b. Yes. We deserve it for going through the angst, but only one such scene is enough. (I prefer that scene to be: Reuniting, Vday, Prom)

c. Yes. We deserve it, and scenes for each pivotal time would make the most sense.

6. The angst section could be wrapped up soon or prolonged with or without other drama as mentioned above. What do you prefer?

a. Wrap up the angst as soon as possible (like the next chapter would be nice).

b. Angst is good, as long as it doesn't last more than one or two more chapters.

c. Angst is good, wrap this up, but bring in angst again before the story ends.

d. Angst is good, but I don't want on-again-off-again. Keep up angst for as long as it works, then get these two back together before the end.

Please answer as many questions as you like, with the question number and letter of your answer. Feel free to expand on any answers or add your own additional suggestions. I accept anonymous reviews. Thanks so much in advance! Sorry if this is crazy. Just call me Rachel Berry. I can tell you that this story will definitely end before the new episodes of Glee start, the rest is up to you!


	16. Dose of your own medicine

**A.N.** Thanks so much for participating in the poll! The results of the majority votes are posted in my profile if you're interested in seeing what I will be trying to fulfill. It's impossible to make everyone happy, but I'm going to do what I can. The theme song for this chapter is "Dose" by The Exies, which you can find by searching with "last fm". Lyrics are in italics, bold indicates when Puck joins in singing backup.

**Alimard**, there are shout outs to you in this chapter—one about Rachel's dreams; see if you can spot the other one. **PoliVamp** I've finally gotten to the real roadblock that the whole fight was underlying, and I hope that helps resolve your concerns from your review back in Ch. 13. Also for everyone who suggested songs, I will be working on how to fit more songs into the concluding chapters, which should be fairly simple given the things that I have left to write.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee, or any songs, or anything else familiar.

**...**

**January, Junior Year**

Upon leaving Puck's house, Kurt drove Artie's dad's van to Rachel's house. Tina, Mercedes, Kurt, and Artie, exited the van; and Kurt went to the door. Artie eyed Rachel's front steps and told the girls that there was no way he was going to ask them to help him inside Rachel's house. (He had been inside her house once before, but his dad had been there to help. He didn't want to ask his fellow gleeks to repeat what they had done for him at Puck's house.)

"Miss Berry, we're requesting your presence outside since we don't have the appropriately-muscled men to help us get Artie's wheelchair inside. I suggest you bring your coat."

"Ok, Kurt." Rachel was surprised to see everyone. She had just had a sleepover yesterday with them all (except for Artie), so she hadn't expected another visit.

"Girl, we just came from Puck's," said Mercedes. "And we've sure got some stuff to tell you."

"Wait, is it something he wouldn't want me to know? In that case, I don't feel comfortable…"

"Rachel, if we all know what it is, don't you think _you_ deserve to know this information? Some of us could barely be considered friends with Puck." asked Artie logically.

"Oh. Yes, I suppose that makes sense." Rachel relented easily. She was very curious as to what prompted this visit.

"First," said Mercedes, "we have all recently come to agree with Kurt and Puck that Finn _may_ not have the _purest_ motives when he suggested you all should just be friends." Kurt gave his usual look of superiority for finally convincing the rest of them of a fact that had seemed obvious to him. Mercedes rolled her eyes at Kurt.

"Ok…" Rachel began. "Since you're all in agreement, I will discuss this matter again with Finn tomorrow at school."

"If you want," Mercedes shrugged. She didn't know if a discussion with Finn would really get Rachel anywhere, but whatever. "And there's one more thing…" started Mercedes.

"Since Tina explained this important information to us on the ride over, we feel it is best if Tina take it from here," announced Kurt, giving Tina a little push forward so she was face to face with Rachel.

"Um, Rachel, when we talked to Puck, he made it clear that he wouldn't be your friend if you didn't choose to be in a relationship with him, but he also revealed a bit more to us about why he said that."

Rachel shifted uncomfortably at Tina's words. "He told me that it would be too hard for him. But I don't really understand his problem with friendship. Did he tell you something more than what he told me?"

"Sort of. And I sort of inferred a few things. He literally said he'd rather feel nothing than be hurt by you. He doesn't want to be friends with you because he's putting up a defense mechanism to protect himself from being hurt."

"Defense mechanism! I have one of those too!" Rachel exclaimed.

Exclaimed with inappropriate enthusiasm and a distinct lack of nonessential words, thought Kurt. "What happened to your usual, uh, eloquence?"

"I just realized something. Something important!"

"Sweetie, slow down." He could see the gears spinning in her head.

"What? I'm just standing here. I'm not speaking quickly. I don't understand what I should slow down."

"Your brain. I can tell something's going on in there. You're brain's working so hard that you're only speaking with words one or two syllables long."

"You're right. I need to take some time to think."

"Good. Well, here's my final suggestion. Remember the Hummel two strikes rule? Puck's had his first strike. Next time, he's out." Everyone nodded at Kurt's proclamation. "But give him another chance. Wouldn't you like to have a boyfriend on Valentine's Day? I know I would," he said wistfully.

"Kurt, Valentine's Day is weeks away. And I'm not reconciling with Noah just to have a boyfriend for Valentine's Day."

"Why? You two have to get back together anyway; it might as well be in time to spend the most romantic holiday of the year together, even if the whole thing is a commercial conspiracy. I say bring on the chocolate, bring on the candlelit dinner."

Rachel blushed, thinking of her first time with Noah, her first time; with the room softened by candlelight. He had gone candle shopping for her, she remembered fondly, envisioning him in a candle store, searching for the right scent. He could be so attentive, surprisingly thoughtful. There were times when he could be a jerkface, but even that was kind of endearing (sometimes), and _usually_ his rude behavior was not directed at her. Rachel knew that she wasn't the easiest person to get along with either. And something about being with Noah just…fit. "I'm reconciling with him because you're right, everyone deserves a second chance. And I think you've helped me figure out some important things about our relationship."

All of the gleeks brightened at this announcement and exclaimed "Good!" and "So you _are_ getting back together?"

Rachel subtly edged towards the door. "Yes, I need to take some things into consideration, as I said. But thank you for stopping by. I'm looking forward to talking with Noah about this, and you all have helped me immensely!" She stepped inside the house and closed the door.

And with that, the gleeks realized that even though they had been talking outside, Rachel had basically kicked them out of her house. Politely. This wasn't the first time that had happened to Kurt, and he recalled the last time with mild amusement.

…

Defense mechanism! It should have been obvious, Rachel thought. Whenever she felt hurt, she pushed people away too, to lessen the pain. She should have thought of that right away. She felt a bit ashamed of herself that she hadn't. But she realized there was also something more to it than that, something she didn't share with her friends.

Noah seemed to think if she didn't do _everything_ with just him, she'd leave him. She remembered their fight, which had started about her plans with Finn. Noah had said that he wanted her to think of him first, without being asked to do so. He was quite clingy actually, in a way that was a bit surprising given his known history as a womanizer. Rachel had been very flattered by his intensity and desire to be with her all of the time, but they had been together at the exclusion of most everything else. That couldn't be healthy if one wants to be a well-rounded individual, which she did. They had been spending every ounce of free time together since they had started their relationship (back when they were friends with benefits), and so at the time, Rachel hadn't seen the harm in doing something with Finn (or with any of the people she called friends). Once she felt like they were in a good, secure place (he was her boyfriend, finally), she thought it would be a nice change to open their social calendars a bit when opportunities presented themselves (it was probably unfortunate that this first opportunity had been with _Finn_). Rachel thought that Noah might appreciate time for himself too. He hadn't, of course, which had prompted their fight and his eventual confession about Quinn.

There were a few things going on there with Noah's feelings, Rachel was discovering. Noah was particularly sensitive about Finn. Rachel realized that maybe the way she feels about Quinn is a little bit like how Noah feels about Finn. Maybe he had some justification for worrying about Finn, but she knew he really didn't need to worry about her feelings for Finn. So perhaps she shouldn't worry so much about his feelings for Quinn. But more than this bit of insecurity, Rachel realized that she hadn't been prepared for the big concern , and she should have—that Noah Puckerman had abandonment issues.

Of course, he had a fear of abandonment! It made sense why all his relationships had been without emotional investment, and then when he actually opened his heart to Quinn and their baby, he got crushed. She hadn't thought very deeply about his feelings before, but she should have. She really should have. Rachel hadn't tried to analyze how her actions would be perceived by him. She was a bit self-absorbed, and only thought about the first logical response to her actions, not what Noah's response would be, given his surprising emotional depth. And she knew he had that depth, she just didn't realize how deep it went. He probably didn't either.

How could she have been so blind? He's been abandoned by his father. Later by his best friend. By all of his popular friends. Of course he would cling to her and be threatened by any indication that she might leave him. Of course he would shut himself down to prevent feeling painful emotions. And all of this proved how deeply he really cared for her.

Rachel had been so conflicted about how her relationship with Noah might conflict with her personal goals and might cause _her_ pain. But maybe those dreams she could barely remember were telling her that their futures could be intertwined! She didn't want to hurt Noah either; and she could see now that if she rejected his offer to be in a romantic relationship (which she actually wanted from him too), she would hurt him very deeply and he would probably fall backwards, further withdrawing from emotional interactions instead of embracing personal growth. The thought actually devastated her—to think that she could be responsible for a swift regression back to withdrawn Puck instead of promoting the boy she saw emerging. And maybe she was giving herself too much credit for influence over Noah's behavior. She was known to be a bit self-centered, but something told her that she wasn't too far from the truth in this case.

And Kurt and the others had been right. She needed to open herself up to Noah, even if there was the possibility for heartbreak later. She would surely regret making a decision to force friendship on him, knowing that it would cause him to shut her out of his life in self-defense.

She knew that this was an in-person conversation. By the time she had worked through all of these stunning revelations, it was already rather late on Sunday night, and she didn't think her dads would let her leave the house so late on a school night, even if she came up with some kind of lie. (And nothing good enough came to mind or she might have tried.) She decided the best thing she could do with her time was to prepare a set of talking points to help her along with what she wanted to express to Noah the next day.

…

At school on Monday, everything seemed to prevent Rachel from talking to Noah right away. He wasn't at his locker before first period, and she didn't want to be late, so she had to continue to class without speaking to him. She had to wait until lunch to try to find him. Unfortunately, that's when Quinn decided it would be a good time to talk to Rachel.

"Rachel, I—I want to apologize for what happened between me and Puck after the dance. And for not telling you about it. I figured it was Puck's place to tell you, and then when it seemed like he didn't tell you, I just didn't mention it to you either."

"Thank you, Quinn. I accept your apology," Rachel said, a bit stiffly. But she did accept the apology.

"I was just upset about Finn, and then, things happened…"

"It's ok, I don't need any additional information." Rachel needed Quinn to stop.

"Right. Sorry. Anyway, I was wondering if you told Finn about the…situation."

"Yes, Quinn. I told Finn about the _situation_," Rachel said, a bit resignedly.

"You told Finn," Quinn said slowly, as if processing this information. "How did he react?"

"Oh!" Rachel realized she hadn't even asked Finn how he felt about the kiss, and she didn't quite remember everything that Finn had said that didn't apply directly to her. She continued, "He actually just focused on my problems. He did say something about how we should all work on being friends to build up trust among the four of us. He didn't really say much about his feelings. I should have asked him. I'm not a very good friend. I need to work on being less ego-centric." She finished lamely.

Quinn scoffed. "Join the club."

Rachel gave a half-smile. "Maybe that's something we can help each other improve."

"Maybe," Quinn smirked back.

"If you'll excuse me, Quinn, I think I need to have a word with Finn before the lunch period ends."

Quinn nodded and watched as Rachel headed towards Finn at the jock table. Friends? She wondered if that's all that she would ever be to Finn again, a friend. Quinn realized she hadn't been a very good friend to him, let alone girlfriend. So maybe it was a good idea just to build up friendships—within this most unlikely foursome.

…

"Finn, may I have a few moments of your time?" Rachel asked, ignoring the raised eyebrows of Finn's company.

"Uh…yeah, sure, Rach." Finn was working on not being embarrassed by his glee associates, and he definitely wanted to talk to Rachel. But whenever he was around the jocks, he always felt a little…uncomfortable about drawing attention to his less-popular friendships. Being unpopular sucked. (Finn hadn't actually thought through the whole process of what would happen if he and Rachel actually dated for longer than a week at the end of school like last year. He vaguely figured that she'd just become more popular with him by her side.)

Finn followed Rachel to an empty table on the other side of the cafeteria. Neither of them noticed Puck watching them.

Once they were seated, Rachel began. "I have two things I would like to discuss. First, I want to apologize for my insensitivity to your situation and how the information I gave you regarding Quinn might upset you."

"Oh, that's ok, Rachel. You were upset. I asked you about it. You told me. I'm glad you told me."

"But the news did upset you, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did. It sucked a lot."

"Well, for that, I apologize. And I am sorry that I did not follow up on your feelings the way a good friend should have."

"Apology accepted." Finn smiled at her sincerely and reached out to squeeze her hand. Rachel smiled and squeezed back. Then she pulled her hand away.

"But I have a second issue to discuss."

"Oh, right."

"I wondered if you had any reasons to suggest that we should all be friends, other than the fact that you truly believe that we should all be friends." Rachel made sure not use words like "ulterior motives" so she wouldn't have to explain her vocabulary to Finn. She hoped that her sentence was unambiguous. There was something to be said for being able to express oneself clearly and concisely based on one's audience—this was not always easy for her.

Finn was trying to process what Rachel said and trying to decide how to respond. Was she hinting that if he wanted to be more than friends, she wanted that too? Or would she be mad if he said he wanted them to be more? Finn decided to go with the safest answer he could think of: "I said that because I truly believe that is the best thing, at least for now." There, he had told the truth and left the door open in case she wanted to walk through.

"Oh, that's what I thought!" Rachel exclaimed happily, and she jumped out of her chair to hug the still-seated Finn.

"Whoa!" he chuckled, and stood up to better return the hug.

"Friends?" she asked, looking up at him beaming her 1,000-kilowatt smile.

"Friends." He agreed, as he gently kissed her on the top of her head. He wasn't sure if she even felt it.

She did.

…

Disgusted by what he saw of this exchange from afar, Puck stalked out of the cafeteria. Only to bump into Kurt Hummel.

"Watch where you're going, Hummel," he growled.

"What crawled up your butt and died, Puckerman?"

"Thankfully not you."

"Very funny." Kurt grimaced. "I thought you'd be in a good mood today, considering Rachel's decision."

"You mean her decision to be with Finn?"

"What? No! That's not her decision! That's not even in the realm of possibilities!"

"Could've fooled me. I just saw her hug him and look at him like the sun shines out his ass."

"Hmm, someone sounds jealous," Kurt teased. The glare from Puck straightened him up. "Well, as far as I know, she was going to ask Finn if he had a hidden agenda by suggesting they should be friends. He probably said "no", whether that's true or not. And Rachel surely accepted his answer and hugged him. I'm 99.9 percent sure that you don't have anything to worry about."

"And the other 1 percent?"

"_Point_ 1 percent. That's a _tenth_ of one percent," Kurt corrected. "You weren't kidding about sleeping through Math class." Kurt marveled aloud.

"Your point?"

"That tiny percent is just the very slight chance that she changed her mind between yesterday and today. But my money is on you. And I'm sure she is going to tell you herself today."

Puck just grunted in acknowledgment.

"So, assuming that I am right, seeing as the odds are drastically in your favor, I have a question for you, Mr. Rockstar. What will Rachel think of this new way of spending your time when she's used to the two of you spending all of your free time together?"

"Dunno, she'll have to adjust." Puck hadn't really thought about it.

"Rachel, adjust? She doesn't seem that flexible really."

"No dude, she's flexible. You have no idea." Just thinking about it made Puck hope that Kurt was right about Rachel's decision coming today. It felt like it had been a long time since he'd tested Rachel's flexibility. Then he noticed that Kurt looked like he was about to hurl.

"Gross, you're right, I don't have any idea. Nor do I want to. Excuse me while I regurgitate the contents of my lunch."

"Whatever, dude." As Kurt rushed as far away from him as possible, Puck felt his phone vibrate. He had a text from Josh saying that he had booked them for a gig tonight. Since he still had a few minutes left in the lunch period, Puck called him.

"It's Puck—Puckerman," Puck cursed his indecisiveness over what to call himself around these college guys. "What's up with the gig?"

"Well, Puck Puckerman, glad you called. It's a weeknight show, so we won't make much money since not as many people go out on the weekdays. That's also why it's early, a dinner show for the after work/after school crowd. But if we do well, the manager will book us for weekend shows in the future. That's where the big bucks are."

"Cool."

"Uh, yeah. Very," replied Josh. Big understatement, he thought. "So bring your guitar, we've got the amps, and show up early for sound check since we have to decide the set list and set up the equipment. You better be up for this, man. We've hardly practiced with you, but I couldn't really turn down this opportunity."

"Definitely, dude, I'll be ready." Puck promised. Josh gave Puck the name of the venue and approximate directions, though his directions started at the OSU campus instead of from McKinley High of course.

Puck was pretty psyched.

…

Since Rachel had been occupied during lunch by discussions with Quinn and then Finn, she had to wait until after glee rehearsal to talk to Noah. Finally, she caught him as he was leaving the music room. "Noah! Wait!" He stopped and walked back to her as the others trickled out of the room. Even Will decided it was best to leave the room to the two students.

"I talked to Finn today, and while I believe that he is mostly sincere; I think he probably had ulterior motives for suggesting that we all be friends." That kiss onto her hair had helped her reach that assumption. It didn't exactly cross the friendship line, but she reasoned that the gesture jumped right up to the border.

"Yeah, anybody with half a brain could've figured that out." Somehow, her mention of Finn and his so-called sincerity made him recall her ridiculous smile at him. And a tight knot formed in his stomach. He had almost forgotten about that little incident in his excitement over the band's gig. Stupid Finn.

"Well, I admit I do not have finely honed social skills, but—"

"Yeah, I didn't notice," he said sarcastically. Stupid Rachel and her stupid (beautiful) smile at Finn. How long had it been since she'd looked at _him_ like that?

Rachel commanded herself to ignore his remarks. (There was that jerkface. Not so endearing now. But she reminded herself that sometimes the best thing to do is soldier ahead.) "But I wanted to tell you that I've figured out why you behave the way you do," she said as calmly as possible.

"Really? Because I don't even know why I do what I do. It's not like I sit around and ponder life and plan my next move. That's more your thing. I just _do_ shit."

"Yes, I realize this, but I think I've also realized that your motivations come from defense mechanisms, which I share, as well as abandonment issues."

Defense mechanism? _Abandonment issues_? _Fuck_. If she was going to pick him, why didn't she just say it? "Ok, while I'd love to stay here as you go all Dr. Phil on me, I really have to go. I have to meet the band, like _now_."

"You're not in the band!" What, was he avoiding _her_ now? And with poor excuses? Was he just being spiteful?

"Not the high school band, Berry. I'm in a _real_ band."

"Oh," said Rachel quietly. That was new. Just a few days apart and he had already gotten into a band? "Can we talk tonight?"

"Can't. I'm playing a gig." He started walking quickly out of the room. She followed, double timing with her short legs to keep up with his long strides.

"Where?"

"Bar at OSU. I'll have to talk to you later." They had reached the parking lot.

"You can't play in a bar! You're underage!" she called after him. And how could she go see him play if he was playing at a bar, and one in which she did not know the location? She had stopped dumbly as she had worked through the thoughts in her head. Now she pulled herself out of her shock and tried to make it to his truck. "What bar?!" she shouted. But it was too late because he was already driving away. Maybe this would just have to wait until tomorrow, she thought sadly. No! She began to panic. He was going to be playing at a college bar… With girls going wild and pulling off their shirts and who knows what else! She had to find him tonight!

As he was driving, Puck thought it was _interesting_ that he's the one walking away this time. _He_ was the one to say that he couldn't talk to _her_. He's been waiting for her. Now she'll have to wait for him. Puck had learned from Rachel that punctuality was important, especially when something is important to you. And this was his first chance to show up and do a good job at a real gig. He was anxious to get there on time and prove himself. As much as he had been looking forward to this moment with Rachel, he was also not as sure as Kurt had been that she was going to choose to stay in a relationship with him. There was the _Finn moment_. He couldn't help but clench his jaw at the thought. Then there was Rachel and her psycho-analysis. Why didn't she just spit it out? If she wanted him, why didn't she just say that? Would he have skipped the gig? Probably not, he thought. Would he have acted like less of an ass? Probably. Hopefully. Hell, he didn't know. Being an ass came naturally. In fact, it was an ability he had perfected over several years. He pushed those thoughts aside so he could focus on the task at hand.

…

Rachel frantically tried to come up with a plan. How could she figure out where he would be playing with the band? She didn't know the band's name or the venue they would be playing. How many bars would there be around the OSU Lima campus? She assumed he meant the satellite campus, not the main campus in Columbus! Her first stop would be the Puckerman residence. Maybe he went home first and she could catch him!

Puck did go home first, but he performed several traffic violations, and he didn't bother to change clothes. He just ran inside, grabbed his guitar, wrote a note to his mom saying he'd be home late, and left. Rachel obeyed all of the traffic laws and arrived several minutes after Noah. There were no signs of anyone home, but Rachel pulled into the driveway and rang the doorbell just in case. No answer.

New plan. Contact Kurt. "Kurt! You have to help me!" she cried into the phone. "Noah's playing in some band tonight at some bar, and I didn't get the chance to talk to him, and I know there will be girls there, and I have no idea how to find him, and—" she dissolved into unintelligible sobs.

"Ok, sweetie, calm down. Now just hold on and I'll text him."

"What?" Why hadn't she thought of that?

"I'll ask him where he's playing, no big deal. I'm sure Puck has no problem with texting while driving. He is a criminal after all." And in a few moments, Kurt had the answer. "He said The Tavern."

"The Tavern? That could be anything! Quick! Google it! Maybe there really is just one place in town called the Tavern!"

"Rachel, are you driving home?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Ok, I'll google it and then I'm coming over. We have to get you dressed up so you can get your underaged-ass into your first bar!"

Rachel gulped, but she was desperate. As long as she could get out of the house before her dads got home to stop her from going out on a school night, she'd figure out how to handle the rest.

…

Kurt did his job of googling, and he called Mercedes and Tina to meet him at Rachel's for this latest emergency. The front door was open, so after a perfunctory ring at the doorbell, they walked in and closed the door behind them. "We're here to the rescue!" Kurt called.

"I'm just getting out of the shower!" called Rachel. "Come on upstairs. I need so much help!"

"Ok, let's divide and conquer!" commanded Kurt. "Mercedes, come up with the most mature outfit you can find in Rachel's wreck of a wardrobe."

"On it."

Rachel almost argued about how much her wardrobe had improved, but she decided not to bother. It really would be a challenge to find something to make her look 21.

"Tina, we have to find her a fake id." Tina looked at Kurt quizzically.

"What am I supposed to do? All of my older family members are _Asian_!"

"Yeah, I'll be no help there either," chimed Mercedes.

"No, Tina, call Artie, and then call anyone else you can think of." Tina did as Kurt asked, though she thought the weak link in this plan was the fake id.

"Alright, Rachel, I'll do hair and makeup." And Rachel put herself in the hands of her friends as she prepared to claim her man.

…

Ok, maybe there were no girls going wild, but there were still a significant number of older, experienced girls who appeared to be interested in the males performing on stage. And the male who appeared to be attracting the most attention was Noah, _her_ Noah. Rachel tried to make her way to the front of the small crowd that had gathered in front of the stage so she could catch Noah's eye.

Puck did a double-take and realized that really was Rachel Berry in the audience, heading towards the stage. Rachel in a bar? He smirked at the thought that she'd either charmed her way in or actually got a fake id to be there. Either way, he was a little proud of that tiny super-villain.

Then he realized the song that they were playing, and the lyrics he was about to sing. He hadn't picked the song, but he wasn't upset when Josh had put it on the set list. He certainly wasn't expecting Berry to show up as they started playing it.

_Pacify the urge inside, I hurt myself again _

_You get the best of me_

_And so how I get right, get riddled inside _

_You gave me a new __**misunderstanding**_

_Scrapin' my elbows in vain_

_I'm used to the pain_

_I've nothing to lose when I'm winning the game_

_Of getting over you_

Josh was singing lead, but Puck wasn't sure what Rachel would think of the song. The music itself was out of her comfort zone, and the lyrics might hit a sore spot. He could see her looking up at him. Her hair fell in soft waves, and it seemed like she was wearing more makeup than usual—but she looked good—really good. His lower gut tightened as he took in the sight of her smiling hesitantly up at him. But he had to keep his game face for the song, his part was up.

_**I'm living a lie**_

_**You always leave me behind **_

_**For someone new**_

_**Now it's my turn to hate**_

_**Like you always do**_

_**I'll give you a taste **_

_A dose of your own medicine_

Puck couldn't help but look at her during the song. Her presence there was so unexpected—she was mesmerizing. He just hoped she could tell it was just a song and that he wasn't trying to say that he was getting over her. The test might be the next part he had to sing…

_I feel love, I feel pain, I mend in my own way_

_**Following you in sad devotion**_

_Broken heart, broken__** spine**__, I gave you my __**life**_

_You left me to die from lack of oxygen_

She started moving through the crowd, as if to leave. "Stay," he mouthed to her. He couldn't help it and didn't care if Josh got pissed. She nodded, pointing towards the back, to the restroom, he realized. He nodded. He could understand why watching him sing this particular song might be uncomfortable for her. Or maybe she just had to go to the bathroom.

_**Scrapin' my elbows in vain**_

_**I'm used to the pain**_

_**Here's something to use when sedation gives way**_

_I'm getting over __**you**__._

_**I'm living a lie**_

_**You always leave me behind **_

_**For someone new**_

_**Now it's my turn to hate**_

_**Like you always do**_

_**I'll give you a taste **_

_A dose of your own medicine_

Rachel reappeared in the crowd in front of him. She had removed her coat, and from his vantage point on stage, he had a nice view of a little cleavage. He was pleased until he realized that Josh would have a similarly good view. Then he noticed the look on Rachel's face. Yeah, it was boobs then face, sue him. She looked lost in thought…what's the word? Pensive. Especially in comparison with the bouncing crowd around her.

_Won't get the best of me _

_**No, not again**_

_I'm not the enemy _

_**Like you still pretend (like you pretend)**_

_Won't get the best of me _

_**No, not again**_

_I won't let you forget how you broke me down_

_**I'm living a lie**_

_**You always leave me behind **_

_**For someone new**_

_**Now it's my turn to hate**_

_**Like you always do**_

_**I'll give you a taste **_

_**A dose of your own medicine…**_

Puck knew it was a good sign that Rachel had made the effort to find him and then to actually get into the bar. She was here even though he'd been a little shitty with her at the end of the day. He'd only felt a little guilty about that. The malicious, immature part of him had felt pretty satisfied with that encounter. But now that she was here, he kind of regretted how he had acted. And why did she look like that? Not exactly _sad_, but…she didn't look like she was ready to run into his arms. He wondered if it was the song. She had to know he didn't pick it, right? Damn song.

…

**A.N.** A minority of you wanted jealous Puck and/or jealous Rachel, but I put in those little bits for you: **lizbeth, lizzie, PoliVamp, theblondeone07, sgarakaki, ,** **vmars15**, **ncar08, Karma22, elisa128, BittyAB18**, (it's not exactly what you suggested, but I hope it works). Same to **WickedGlee** (not exactly what you suggested in an earlier review). **Sabregirlus18**—you got a little peek of Rachel coming to 'claim her man', though not exactly in your suggested context. I hope Rachel's realization about Finn was realistic and enough for you, especially to **nabile** and **Alimard** (I think both of you wanted Rachel to get a little more confrontational with him, which hasn't happened yet).

**Next chapter** starts exactly where this one ends. But I will fill in how Rachel got into the bar and what was going on when she left to go to the ladies room during Puck's song. I suspect that most of you will like what's coming. Please let me know how you think I'm handling this and any other suggestions you have as this story nears its conclusion.


	17. Would You Be Willing?

**A.N.** I apologize for the update delay. The chapter was ready on Friday (1/29/10), but the site wouldn't let me upload it. Grr. Thanks everyone for your kind reviews! The first song up is from Puck, and it's "Would You Be Willing" by dog's eye view. Highly recommend listening (and imagining it's Mark Salling)—search with "last fm" again. I want to thank **chrpangel** for suggesting "Why Don't You and I" by Santana featuring Chad Kroeger (from Nickelback). It fits well with the band theme happening in this chapter. Lyrics in bold indicate the backup singers, including Puck. Also, **ncar08**, something you mentioned in your review made its way into this chapter, although not quite in the same form (because I had this particular scene in mind instead)…

**Warning:** Due to popular request, this chapter contains a **scene** that warrants a **light M rating**. I indicate where it starts and ends for those readers who are young or dislike such scenes. And there is a little bit of "padding" at the beginning and end to facilitate scrolling past the scene. Skipping it won't detract from the plot of the story. Have I mentioned I get nervous about writing these scenes? I have? Well, please let me know what you think, good or bad.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee or any songs.

…

**January, Junior Year**

As the band finished playing their cover of "Dose," Puck knew he had to do something drastic. He was afraid that Rachel was over-thinking the lyrics of that song. She had left in the middle of the song, but she did come back, so he figured she wasn't too threatened. Still, she didn't look as happy as she could have. Plus, he had been kind of an asshole to her earlier that day… He wanted to do something to let her know that he wasn't "getting over" her (to quote the song lyrics he'd just finished singing). So, before Josh could lead them in their next song, Puck took the microphone from in front of him.

"Hey everyone, we're gonna take five. Be back in a flash. Thanks!"

"What the hell, Puckerman?" Josh asked through gritted teeth.

"Dude, follow me backstage. You're sounding hoarse; I figured you could use a water break." Puck knew that the surest way to mess with Josh's head and get him to cooperate was to act like his vocals were noticeably suffering. Thankfully, Josh and the other guys followed Puck's lead. Backstage, Puck exchanged the "backup" electric guitar for his acoustic guitar. Then he began to plead his case.

"Ok, while you're taking a break, I need to do an acoustic song, just one." Puck saw their jaws drop and Eddie and Trey looked to Josh, who was fuming. Puck quickly jumped in with what he thought would be a guy-approved sob story. "Look, my girlfriend is mad at me and I really need to do this for the make-up sex. I didn't expect her to be here, but she is. She over-analyzes everything, so she's probably flipping out at the lyrics of the last song."

"Philosophy major," stated Trey knowingly. "Or maybe psych," he pondered.

"Yeah, like that." Puck thought Trey was pretty chill, but half the time he had no idea what the dude was talking about. "Ok, so once I start, you guys can come back out and play along with the song. It'll be a great panty-dropper, I swear."

Josh was definitely uncomfortable with the idea of giving up the spotlight by letting Puck take the lead, even on just one song. This new guy had already left him feeling threatened by his…physical attributes (ok, fine, the dude had impressive guns), but at least he hadn't ever shown interest in taking over the lead role…until now. Josh shook his head and took a long swig from his water bottle.

Puck could see that Josh was gonna be a hard sell, so he decided to appeal to Eddie and Trey, who had both seemed to take more of a liking to him. "Trust me, dudes, I have this effect on the ladies. It's undeniable. But I'm just after one particular girl, so besides her, you can have your pick. I'm giving you the Puckerman guarantee that you will have women lining up to see us backstage at the end of the night." Puck had never been in a band, or played in a bar on a Monday night, but he didn't see any reason why his ability to reel in women would fail him now.

"C'mon, just let him have this one. It's a win-win situation," Eddie appealed to Josh. Puck thanked him with a nod. And Josh agreed with a nod. But he didn't look pleased—more like constipated.

"Thanks, man," said Puck. "Remember, once you pick up on the music, come on out and join me. I'm playing 'Would You Be Willing' by dog's eye view. I think the Lima crowd will dig the vibe." He felt a slight sense of accomplishment as he turned away from Josh to head back onto the stage.

So Puck geared up for his song, plugging in his acoustic guitar to the amp and sitting down on the stool he brought from backstage. But now that he had approval, he felt a little apprehensive. This was just a performance opportunity. It didn't count as a serenade to Rachel, right? Since he'd sworn he was done with that shit after his two failures. And if this doesn't work, he's screwing the hottest girl he can find here, right? Keep telling yourself that, his inner voice mocked him. Puck wasn't sure why that voice sounded like Josh.

He almost said 'this one's for you', but saying it out loud would break the promise he made to himself that he would _not_ serenade Rachel Berry _anymore_. So maybe he told her it was for her with his eyes, looking straight at her. By not speaking, he had plausible deniability, even to himself, he reasoned. Maybe he meant to swear that he'd never serenade Rachel again _to apologize_. The only purpose for _this_ serenade was to get back in her pants. Yeah, that worked. Puck felt a little more like a stud now that he had justified his behavior to himself (and his inner voice, Josh).

"Uh…hey, you've been a great crowd…I'm Noah Puckerman, and I'll be playing you a little something during the break," he announced. By this time most of the crowd had been milling about and engaged in their own conversations. But many of the ladies turned their attention to the sexy guitarist who had taken over the stage. He was glad to catch their attention so easily since it would help prove the story he'd sold to the guys that he'd deliver the goods, so he began playing.

_Would you be willing_

_To take me for my word?_

_If I told you I was fallin'?_

_If I told you things I'm sure you've heard?_

_Would you stand up and walk away?_

_Would you stay here tonight?_

_Please don't laugh at what I say..._

_And I'm singing you this love song_

_I'm sure somebody's sang for someone else._

_And I know there's nothing new about it _

_Except maybe I haven't felt this way._

_So don't stand up and walk away_

_Please just stay here tonight._

_Oh, don't laugh at what I say_

_Here tonight._

Josh came in during the song and played a guitar solo, to the cheers of the audience, so that seemed to bring his confidence back. Trey picked up the drum beat and Eddie took the bass line. Puck gave them a nod when they joined him. He was glad he picked a song Josh didn't know so that he didn't try to come up there and sing over him. That guy was a bigger egomaniac than anyone he'd ever met—way bigger than Rachel.

_It's hard for me to say things_

_Without jokin' around and around and around._

_And it's hard for me to look at you_

_Without feeling like I've been drownin'at sea._

_So please don't stand up and walk away_

_Just stay here tonight._

_Please don't laugh at what I say_

_Here tonight._

_Would you be willing?_

_Here tonight._

_Would you be willing?_

Puck relished the cheers of the crowd, but mostly he relished in the way Rachel beamed up at him. That's what he'd been missing. He cocked his head towards backstage, silently asking her to meet him afterwards. She smiled and nodded at him, reminding him a bit of her reaction to his "Sweet Caroline" solo. He couldn't help but flash a genuine smile, even if it tarnished his cool rocker persona with the band guys. Besides, he could tell he had really warmed up the female population of the audience. The guys would be swimming in chicks and have him to thank.

Puck remembered what was on their set list, so he decided it would be better to be safe than sorry. As he switched back to the electric guitar, he whispered to Josh, "Can we play song 10 now instead? Just to seal the deal?" Josh gave an eye roll but relented because their tenth song would flow better than their eighth number would with Puckerman's song—his little stunt to grab the spotlight.

Puck gave Rachel a wink so she'd know _this_ was a song _he'd_ selected.

"Ok," announced Josh to the crowd, "now that Puckerman got you in the mood for _love_, let's pick things up a bit!" The crowd started to cheer as they recognized the song. Josh knew that the twenties and thirties set always appreciated the songs that had been popular about ten years ago.

_Since the moment I spotted you,  
Like walking around with little wings on my shoes,  
My stomach's filled with the butterflies.  
Ooh, and it's all right.  
Bouncing 'round from cloud to cloud,  
I'd got the feeling like I'm never gonna come down.  
If I'd said I didn't like it then you'd know I lied._

_Every time I try to talk to you  
I get tongue-tied.  
It turns out that everything I say to you  
Comes out wrong and never comes out right.  
So I'll say __**why don't you and I get together?  
And take on the world and be together forever;  
Heads we will, Tails we'll try again.  
So I'll say why don't you and I hold each other?**_

_**And fly to the moon and straight on to heaven,  
Cause without you they're never gonna let me in.  
**__  
When's this fever gonna break?  
I think I've handled more than any man can take.  
I'm like a love-sick puppy chasing you around.  
Ooh, and it's all right.  
__**Bouncing 'round from cloud to cloud,  
I got the feeling like I'm never gonna come down.  
If I'd said I didn't like it then you'd know I lied.**_**  
**  
(Chorus)_**Every time I try to talk to you  
I get tongue-tied.  
It turns out that everything I say to you  
Comes out wrong and never comes out right.  
So I'll say why don't you and I get together?**_

_**And take on the world and be together forever;  
Heads we will, Tails we'll try again.  
So I'll say why don't you and I get together?**_

_**And fly to the moon and straight on to heaven,  
Cause without you they're never gonna let me in.  
**__  
Slowly I begin to realize,  
This is never going to end  
Right about the same time you walk by,  
And I say, __**'Oh here we go again', Oh!**_

_(Chorus)__** …**_

_  
_Puck couldn't ask for more. Here he was, playing in a band (in a bar!), with his girl looking up at him with the adoration he deserves. He was a guitar-god, all-around badass, and one sexy bastard. He couldn't think of any better way to end what had been a pretty shitty day—except for the activities he hoped would follow after they finished their set. Yeah, that would make it _much_ better. As much as Puck was enjoying his first real performance in the band, he was now anxious for it to be over._  
_

And a few songs later, it was. Puck and Rachel immediately made their way to each other.

"You're here," Puck said cautiously. Now that he didn't have the songs as armor, he was feeling a little nervous about what Rachel was thinking.

"I'm here," she affirmed simply.

"I'm glad you're here," he said.

"Me too," she smiled shyly. She wasn't sure why she felt so bashful and why her vocabulary seemed to be failing her.

"How'd you even get in here? You have a fake id I don't know about?"

She shook her head 'no'. "But, I can be very persuasive."

"You better not have promised any sexual favors," Puck said with narrowed eyes. He was suddenly seriously worried about Rachel's disappearance and reappearance earlier in the night...

"What!? No, of course not! But that's why I had to go to the ladies room when you first spotted me. I convinced the bouncer to let me in if I had identifying marks to prevent the bartenders from serving me alcohol. Apparently, this bar doesn't keep wristbands on hand for this sort of situation." She shook her head at the poor planning of the venue as she revealed black markings saying "DO NOT SERVE" on both hands. "It's permanent!" she wailed.

"Obviously."

"Well, that's why I thought I'd get a head start on washing it off. I have to go to school like this tomorrow!"

"Was that the only reason you left? I was a little worried that song might've upset you…"

"I did feel a bit uncomfortable with the lyrics and the way you were looking at me while singing them," Rachel admitted. "Then I realized you had started playing that song before you saw me, and I thought I shouldn't over-analyze it now. However, I want to revisit your feelings about some of the themes in that song."

"Uh, ok," Puck couldn't help rolling his eyes. "Let's do that later. How about we get outta here now?" Puck smirked. She nodded enthusiastically. Puck picked up his guitar in one hand and held Rachel's hand in the other. He walked her over to his fellow band members as they were gathering their instruments. "Guys, this is my girl. Rach, these are the guys. Later!" And Puck dragged her unceremoniously toward the parking lot.

Normally, Rachel would have insisted on formal introductions, but at the moment, all she cared about was being alone with Noah.

"So am I taking you home or do you have your car here?" Puck hoped that somehow she had gotten there without her car so he could spend more time with her, alone.

"Yes, I hope you will take me home. Kurt dropped me off here. It seemed too risky for Kurt, Tina, and Mercedes to try to get into the bar with me, considering that none of us had fake ids and Kurt looks about twelve. But they must have had confidence that I could make it in and that you would give me a ride home. Though I'm sure Kurt would have returned to pick me up if that didn't work out as intended. He and the girls are also my cover story to my parents—I wrote a note saying that I was practicing for a glee ensemble with them tonight to prepare for Sectionals."

Puck recognized the most important implication in Rachel's (long) description. "So, does that mean they don't expect you to come home tonight?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh, I didn't think of making up a sleepover glee rehearsal. No, they just expect that I'll be home late, and the gang said they'd cover for me if my dads call any of their parents. They're telling their parents the same thing, and they're hanging out together so that none of them are home either. Although, it is quite late now, so I'm not sure how long they'll keep it going."

As they made it to his truck, they both realized two things. First, they could talk any time; and right now for some reason, talking was not the top priority in either of their minds. Second, they both had parents waiting for them at home, so they had no place to go to _not talk_. Except Puck's truck.

He helped her into the passenger's side and practically ran to the driver's side. "Hey," he smiled at her.

"Hey," she replied, still feeling a bit shy under his intense gaze.

Then he leaned in, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her. It was like magic. They were back together.

… _Mature Scene_ …

She felt as though he knew the effect his kiss had on her—the progress he was making. She also felt a bit guilty for jumping immediately into make out mode when they had so many issues to discuss. "Maybe we should talk about things," started Rachel, freeing her lips momentarily.

"Mmm-hmm," Puck nodded into her lips.

"Should we talk now?" He responded with a groan, and she felt him shake his head no.

"Ok." She gave up easily. He was right; there would be time for talking later. They needed to take advantage of their time alone. A tiny part of her cursed herself for being so indiscreet —normally she would never allow herself to go this far in a public place. The rest of her told that whiny voice to stop being such a priss and enjoy the moment. Sure, they were in the cab of his truck in the parking lot, but she was ecstatic that they were here, almost as if they hadn't been apart. No that's not right. They might not be so hungry for each other, so passionate, so desperate to have each other _right now_ if they hadn't been separated. She didn't know, but she wanted to make up for lost time. She couldn't get enough of him, of his skin, his oh-so-well-muscled torso. She slipped her hands under his shirt, and she felt him pulling down her leggings…and there went her underwear too, shoved down to her calves with her boots. They had been doing a fine job of grinding while clothed, with Rachel straddling his lap. But they still couldn't seem to get enough of each other. Puck undid his jeans and freed himself from his boxers. And while her hands were occupied by his abs and chest, his hands pulled down her push-up bra, pushing her out of her top and exposing her to him—to his skilled hands, his mouth…

"God, Rachel, I want you so badly…"

"Me too," she whispered, leaning so her lips grazed his ear from her perch on his lap. "I've missed you so much."

That was all Puck needed to hear. He slipped a condom out of his back pocket (because it was a smart habit to always be prepared). And within a few moments, Rachel was riding him, still straddling his lap, as they tried to find the best angle. Suddenly, a rapid series of knocks on the window startled them both. The windows were fogged, so nobody could see them, but they couldn't see who was knocking either. Rachel started to disengage from him, but Puck grasped her hips firmly and held her in place as he heard the door handle lift and the driver's side door start to open. Better to have Rachel on top of him than have his cock hanging out, you know?

Rachel had the presence of mind to adjust herself back into her top and arrange her coat around her waist so it wasn't so obvious that her skirt was pulled up and her leggings were pulled down (along with her underwear). She was deathly afraid a police officer would open the door and arrest them for their illicit activities. But Noah wouldn't let go of her, so no matter what, she would be in an awkward position that was anything but innocent. Then she tried to come up with reasons to explain her place on his lap…but her brain didn't work as fast as the person's hand on the door.

As the door swung open, Rachel bit her lip nervously, and it was all Puck could do to keep from thrusting deeper inside her. Rachel nibbling her lip like that always drove him crazy. Of course, it was that douchebag Josh he was confronted with when the door opened, and Puck would've punched that look off of his douchebag face if he wasn't indisposed at the moment.

"Dude! What the fuck could you possibly want?!" Puck yelled. Band frontman or not, the guy was royally fucking up his moment.

Josh just smirked and draped his arm over the truck door, continuing to leer at the sight in front of him. "Well," he said slowly, enjoying the uncomfortable situation he was provoking, "I saw your truck was still here after you two rushed out…so I thought I'd give you your cut of the profits from tonight. The manager gave us our pay after we tore down the set." He thrust a small wad of bills at Puck, who carefully removed one hand from Rachel's hip to take it. "And you know, we could've used you to help pack the equipment up in the van. It was kind of a dick move to leave us like that."

Puck felt the tiniest pang of guilt. It was fleeting. "Sorry, man. I'll make up for it later. Thanks for the cash." Then Puck hardened his tone, "Seriously. Can you, uh, go now? I'm in the middle of something."

"I see that," replied Josh, quite bemused. Rachel was thoroughly embarrassed and had been blushing furiously throughout the encounter. But she blushed even deeper when Josh eyed her, stuck out his hand and said, "Rachel, right? I'm Josh. It's nice to meet you."

Rachel shifted, but again Puck held her firmly. "I'm sure I will see you again under better circumstances, and at which time, I will say it has been nice meeting you," she said primly to Josh, who raised an eyebrow. (How could this girl be caught fucking a guy in a truck but sound like Miss Manners at the same time?)

"Circumstances don't get much better than this!" Josh laughed. "But I'm sure _any_ circumstances would be a _pleasure_." He managed to sound like a proper gentleman and be suggestive at the same time.

Rachel huffed and pulled her hand away as Puck growled, "Dude, lay off! Go find some groupies to bang, and close this door!"

"Uh-huh," nodded Josh, undeterred. "One last thing. Your punk-ass better not even _think_ of bailing on us like that after the show next weekend—the manager booked us, by the way. So I guess I'll be seeing you _both_ soon." With one last smirk, Josh slammed the door shut. That was thoroughly enjoyable! And Puckerman wasn't kidding about make-up sex! Couldn't even wait to get to the privacy of home! Josh shook his head at his thoughts. Then he realized, hell, some people get off on the whole public sex—possibility of getting caught thing. So maybe he'd done them a favor, those pervs. He almost felt impressed with the way this guy could get action. Almost.

"That was the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me!" Rachel cried out.

"Really? This wasn't so bad," laughed Puck. "But the dude could've hurried his ass up; I'm sitting here trying to maintain my boner for you, and it was looking like a losing battle for a minute there."

"Maintain it for me?" Rachel squeaked incredulously, keenly aware of his presence inside her. "No, I think we're done here. Wasn't that enough excitement for you?"

"No, not nearly enough excitement," he said with a gleam in his eye and a smirk on his face, as he thrust himself deep inside of her. Then he made a slight adjustment of his angle. "There, I think this oughta do it. Now I just need you to bite your lip and push those boobs back in my face, and I'll be hard as rock again."

His demand didn't surprise her. And as he began thrusting, Rachel realized he was right. This was going to do it—and in short order she came undone.

…

After disrupting Puckerman and his girlfriend, Josh headed back to the other guys to relay the story of his encounter. "Check it out. You're not gonna believe this shit…" he started. And he proceeded to describe the situation in great detail to Eddie and Trey (with only minor exaggerations).

… _End Mature Scene_ …

"You know, the way that guy talked about his skills with the ladies, I never really thought of him as the girlfriend type. But if you can get a chick to do you in a parking lot whenever you want, that might be a trade-off worth making," Josh said, practically thinking out loud. "Puckerman owes us for leaving us hanging. I'm gonna make him set me up with one of his girlfriend's freaky-ass friends!"

Trey and Eddie nodded in approval of this worthy plan.

…

As Puck and Rachel pulled themselves together, reality set in—they both had to go home. It was late, it was a school night, and both had only left notes for their parents, so said parental units would most likely be angry at the calls that had gone unanswered. "I guess I should get you home," Puck said. Rachel nodded. They were both sorry that the evening was ending and they'd be spending this night apart. But at least they had come to some sort of unspoken agreement with each other that they were back together. Rachel decided that she wouldn't go into her series of talking points about their relationship now. She only had the short ride home to talk to Noah, and it would be best to set aside more time for a proper discussion. It seemed to Rachel that they both understood that actions speak louder than words; so even without I'm sorry's, I forgive you's, and her talking points for in-depth discussion, they were on the path to making things right.

Breaking the silence, Puck spoke up. "So, you never said what you thought of the show…"

"You never gave me the chance to provide a review. I recall that your lips were preventing me from talking until only a few moments ago." She smiled slyly at him. It was cute how he was fishing for compliments from her. Of course, he deserved a little ego stroking. And now she understood a bit more about why he needed the affirmations from her.

"Well, my lips aren't covering yours now, though I admit that's a damn shame," he smirked. "_So_, what'd you think?!"

"It was lovely, Noah. I especially enjoyed your solo effort. I really appreciated that song selection, by the way. I think you should be the lead in that band, not that horrid Josh, but I'll help you strategize a power play later."

There was that villainous personality again, Puck thought with a smile. "Hold on, Dr. Evil. I'm happy to be backup for now. Josh does shit I don't have time to do, like find us gigs. This was my first show in the band, so no power plays yet."

"Your first show?" Rachel asked in surprise. "Well, that actually makes sense. We've only been apart for about a week…"

Puck interrupted her, "Only a week?! That was seven long days, Berry. I thought my wrist was gonna fall off!" At Rachel's puzzled look, he explained, "Between the guitar, basketball practice, and my other _personal _extracurricular activities that _you_ usually help out with, I think I almost got tendonitis!"

She huffed at his uncouth comments, though mostly only to give the appearance that she was offended by the content of his interruption. She knew that he liked getting such reactions out of her, and she enjoyed their playful banter as well. "_Anyway_, after_ only _a week, I was surprised to learn you were in a band, so I shouldn't be surprised that this was your first show." Then she softened her words and spoke sincerely. "But you can take it as a compliment reflecting how good you were tonight, Noah. I really loved it, and I'm thoroughly impressed with your showmanship."

"Thanks, Rach," Puck smiled genuinely. Compliments from Rachel meant a lot to him because she was obsessively honest and did not hold back on the "constructive criticism".

"Some of the songs were not my personal taste, but I think they suited the majority of the audience…I noticed the _females_ in the audience were _particularly_ receptive to your performance…"

"Oh, here it comes," sighed Puck dramatically. He tried to prevent the smile that threatened to emerge at the thought of Rachel being a little jealous. Jealous Rachel was hot.

…

"Glad to see you two crazy kids are back together," Kurt told Puck and Rachel when they entered glee rehearsal hand in hand on Tuesday.

"So are we," Rachel beamed, squeezing Puck's hand. "I want to thank you for your roles in our reconciliation," she said to her friends. She really felt like they were her friends.

And surprisingly to some of them, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, and Artie felt like they were really Rachel's friends too. They were proud that they had helped Rachel and Puck get back together. Even if they were disgustingly cute.

…

Rachel had scheduled time to talk with Noah after his Tuesday night basketball practice. For some reason, Puck was surprised when she pulled out a list (with bullet points) and wanted to _actually talk_. As usual, he tried to listen as she talked about 'defense mechanisms', 'abandonment issues', 'insecurities related to Quinn and Finn', and her twenty other bullet points and sub-points. But all of that was hard to process at once, and he felt his attention drifting to Rachel's lips, or how he could see her boobs shift a little when she moved her arm to make an important point.

Rachel finally noticed his wandering eyes. "Aren't you interested in becoming more self-aware?" asked Rachel seriously.

"Sure, but I'm a stud. No need to make drastic changes," he shrugged. "Besides I'm more interested in my awareness of you," he said, as he leaned into her.

"Really?" she chirped.

"Mmm-hmm. Like right now, I'm pleased to be aware of how hot I'm making you."

As his hand slid up her leg, up her side, to reach its destination to fondle her, Rachel decided that her discussion points may work better in small doses.

…

**A.N.** Please keep the feedback coming—it's really kept the story going because before I got the poll results, I was just going to end the story here. (Well, not exactly. I have some lines I'm saving for the real end of the story, and I have made some other adaptations based on the fact that I will now be continuing the story).

I tried to make a mature scene that was hot (hopefully) without using too many descriptive words. (Though I can't help but be graphic with Puck's language.) I hope it's working for you Puckleberry pervs out there! (Just kidding—love ya—I'm one of you!) I obviously liked the idea that they got caught and then continued... Please let me know what you thought because I was planning on doing at least one more mature scene before the story concludes. (This was based on the majority vote in my poll, but I'll change the plans if I get new reviews asking me to desist.)

**Up soon: ** Sectionals will get a mention, but next will be the set up for what will happen on Valentine's Day for Puck, Rachel, and the rest of the gleeks. More Puckleberry moments, and we check in on the drama for Quinn, Finn, (later we'll see Kurt, Mercedes, etc.). Some of said drama involves Josh's demand to be set up with a freaky-ass friend of Rachel's. (The next chapter includes a combination of requests from **BittyAB18** and **ncar08**...which I hope everyone will enjoy!). Since the site wouldn't let me post this chapter when I actually finished it, I'm already working on the next one, and it's even more fun to write than this one! Instead of covering two days, it covers about two weeks to bring the story to the end of January.


	18. Love You Madly

**A.N.** Thanks to **PoliVamp** who suggested No Doubt's "Don't Speak"! Puck sings "Right Here" from Staind. Part of this chapter came from suggestions by **BittyAB18** and **ncar08**, with my twisted re-interpretation. Next chapter will be shorter, promise.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or any songs.

…

**January, Junior Year**

Wednesday night, Rachel joined Puck at band practice. Official introductions were made, with no major embarrassing comments from Josh, surprisingly. Rachel said a stiff "Nice to meet you," and settled herself on an old couch in the garage to do homework.

"Dude, is your girlfriend a freshman?" Josh asked suddenly.

"What? No, she's a junior!" Oh wait, Puck realized he meant in college, not high school. "But you know, she's obviously old enough, you saw her at The Tavern."

"Yeah, I did," Josh smirked at the memory of catching those two in the truck. "Thanks for reminder! " (Not that he needed to be reminded. He remembered as soon as he saw Puckerman bring his girlfriend. He just wasn't feeling like as much of an ass as he had on Monday night. Besides, he'd be asking them both for a favor soon.) "I just asked because she looks young. But hot."

Rachel overheard them. They weren't quiet at all. She wasn't sure whether to be flattered or offended that she could pass for older than 17. She decided that for now she should be flattered. When she was 27, she might not be happy with the age bump. Here she was, hanging out with the band—a college band—during their practice. She felt pretty pleased with herself. And she hadn't even asked them to let her sing a song—yet.

Now that Josh had confirmed that Rachel wasn't jailbait, he went on with his true request. "So, remember how you owe me, Puckerman? I think you should set me up with one of your girlfriend's friends."

Puck's jaw dropped open. "Hell no. I meant I'd make it up to you by loading equipment. I'm not a dating service! Do I look like your match-maker?"

"How about Quinn?" piped up Rachel, standing up from her spot on the couch.

"What? No. There's no way my baby momma is hookin' up with Josh!" protested Puck.

"Dude! You have a baby?" cried Trey.

"You have a baby momma?" cried Eddie.

"Your girlfriend knows your baby momma?" asked a stunned Josh.

They both nodded dumbly to all of the questions. Then they ignored their audience to talk amongst themselves, as Puck joined Rachel standing next to the couch.

"Berry, this is a terrible idea. I don't like it. Josh is like my nemesis."

Rachel was no longer surprised by anything that comes out of his mouth that could have been read in a comic book or found in a movie of a similar vein, so his use of 'nemesis' left her unfazed. "Well, Quinn is like my nemesis, so maybe they'd be perfect together!" she whispered harshly. "But really, this is for another purpose. Remember when Quinn wanted help with Finn? Setting Quinn up with Josh may be what could spark Finn into action."

As usual, Rachel's evil brilliance astounded and amused him, but he still wasn't sure about this particular plan. "Josh is like 21. Isn't that illegal or something?"

"I'm sure Quinn can restrain herself from having illicit sex with Josh. As girls, we have pretty good defenses against that kind of thing."

"Uh, Rach, not to bring up a sore subject, but she was the president of the celibacy club and that didn't stop her from having sex with me…You see how well her defenses held up on that front."

It was a sore subject, but Rachel had been trying to be less insecure when it came to Puck and Quinn. "Well, I think you're a special case. You're hard to resist."

"Really? I'm more charming than Josh, huh? Irresistible, you might say?"

"Yes. But don't let it go to your head."

He pressed up against her to whisper in her ear. "It is going to my head, but not the one above my shoulders."

She felt what he meant. "Noah!" she smacked his chest. "Control yourself!" she whispered forcefully, trying to hide her satisfaction at his arousal.

"Fine, fine. We can _ask_ Quinn if she's even interested," Puck relented. They both nodded at each other in agreement. Puck adjusted his shirt and jeans before turning back to band. (It's not like he had full wood.)

The guys had been watching this spectacle intently. The power dynamics were fascinating. Sometimes it seemed like Rachel wore the pants in the relationship. Other times it was clearly Puckerman. It turned out that they were both wrapped around each others' fingers, and they just seemed to switch back and forth between who had the upper hand.

Rachel turned to Josh. "We've agreed to ask Quinn if she's interested in meeting you."

"Excellent. So Puckerman, since this is your baby momma we're talkin' about here, do you happen to have a picture I can size up?"

Puck nodded reluctantly and glanced at Rachel. He was a bit worried that she'd be upset that he still had a picture of Quinn on his phone. It was one from their visit with baby Dizzy, but still, he probably should have transferred that to his computer and only kept the ones with him and his daughter on his phone instead of the one with the three of them.

Rachel felt a fleeting pang at the thought of Puck carrying around a picture of Quinn, but instead she focused on Josh's implications. "Excuse me, Josh, but if you're only interested in sizing Quinn up for sex, then forget it. But if you want to meet her because she is attractive and you may find that you have complementary personalities that encourage you to explore a romantic relationship, then we will contact Quinn and ask her if she is interested."

"Sure, of course. I apologize for my crass words, Rachel. Puckerman, I would be interested in viewing a picture of Quinn and hearing about her personality, if you don't mind," he said politely. Rachel nodded the okay. Asking to see a picture didn't seem so bad to her, considering internet dating websites and the like.

Puck pulled up the picture of the smiling threesome and handed Josh his phone. Eddie and Trey looked over Josh's shoulder. Josh let out a low whistle.

"Damn, Puckerman! You three are like a beautiful little family or some shit," praised Eddie.

"What happened?" asked Trey, oblivious to the painful blush which had started creeping into Rachel's cheeks as soon as Josh let out the whistle. She knew what everyone was thinking, how did he go from that beautiful picture of a family to being with _her_.

"Uh, well, it didn't work out between me and Quinn. We gave up our baby for adoption."

"What? Why?" asked Trey again. He didn't understand why two people in their twenties couldn't raise a baby, even if they did break up. Sure, as college students they were young, but people did it all the time. He thought there was more to the story and he didn't feel any restraint to prevent him from asking.

"Well, they were actually very young when Diana Isabel was born. They were not appropriately equipped to raise a child," Rachel said.

"Really? Because Puckerman here looks the same, aside from that sappy smile," said Josh. "You're telling me that you have like a five year-old running around and that you and your baby momma have been broken up for a long time? But you, the three of you, are like best friends?"

Puck glanced nervously at Rachel, but he realized it's not like he'd ever let these guys meet his daughter, so he could afford to lie to keep up his cover of being way out of high school. "Well, my daughter isn't five, and Quinn is a little younger than I am, but yeah, we've been broken up for a while. We're not into each other, obviously," he said as he pulled Rachel to him with his arm around her waist. She felt a little better, and gave a half-smile. "And I wouldn't say we're best friends, but we all see each other regularly." Puck didn't add 'at our high school glee club.'

"Well, if that's the case, then I'm very much looking forward to meeting Quinn. Do you wanna shoot a picture of me to show her? Help her with the decision?" Josh knew most ladies found him attractive, even if he was a different sort of attractive than Puckerman. Lots of girls compared him to the guy who played Sawyer on _Lost_, even though Josh's hair was lighter and his frame was leaner. And it was winter in Ohio, not the middle of an island, so his skin was paler too. Puckerman was 'Abercombie-punk', according to Trey. And they might have called him that if it weren't such an unwieldy nickname. Josh was more 'pseudo-stoner-rocker', which may not be Quinn's type since she'd gone for Puckerman. But he felt pretty confident that a picture could only help his cause.

"Uh, ok," Puck said, thinking this guy was a class A douche. He snapped a picture anyway since he was going to let Quinn decide for herself.

"So, you got any other single friends?" asked Eddie.

…

On Thursday, Quinn was surprised to find Puck and Rachel at her locker, waiting for her, apparently. "Hello, Quinn," said Rachel. "We have something to ask you." She elbowed Puck, who reluctantly held out his phone.

"This is a picture of this guy Josh. He's the lead singer of this band I joined. He's old, like 21, but he thinks I'm 22. Anyway, do you wanna date him?"

"What?" Quinn didn't follow anything that Puck said, but she did take the phone for a closer look at the picture. The guy was really cute. Rachel explained the situation a bit further, and Quinn decided that it wouldn't hurt to meet this Josh guy.

"Yes, I'll go on a date with him. Puck, please give him my number."

Rachel smiled triumphantly. Puck nodded, defeated.

…

The first words from Josh when Puck and Rachel showed up at his place for the next rehearsal: "Have you heard anything from your friend Quinn?"

"As a matter of fact, we have. _Puck_ was supposed to give you Quinn's number." Rachel made sure to call him by his nickname because they'd recently talked about how she should address him in front of the band guys. Something about undermining his badassness. She thought he was being absurd, but she decided to pick her battles and try to remember to do as he asked. It was easy to call him Puck when he was being a jerk.

"Must've slipped my mind," he muttered. Hell, this was Rachel's plan, let her be cupid. But even Puck had to admit that rehearsal went surprisingly well, with Josh acting like a tiny douchebag instead of a giant douche; apparently due to the good news about Quinn. Weird.

"So, dude, that song you played on your first gig with us, that was pretty good," Josh told Puck. "Maybe we'll throw some more songs like that into our repertoire, but they have to be songs that 20-30 year-olds would know—not like that one you played."

"Well, I actually have another that would work." Puck said, then turned to Rachel. "Uh, Rach, remember it's just a song."

Rachel shrugged. Why did she care? Then after she heard him start to sing the lyrics, she knew why Noah was bracing her with a warning. It was a song from Staind, which suited Noah's voice well, so despite some strange constriction she felt in her chest at some of the verses, she found it very beautiful.

_I know I've been mistaken  
But just give me a break and see the changes that I've made  
I've got some imperfections  
But how can you collect them all and throw them in my face?_

(Chorus) _But you always find a way to keep me right here waiting  
You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting  
And if you chose to walk away, I'd still be right here waiting  
Searching for the things to say to keep you right here waiting_

_I hope you're not intending_

_To be so condescending_

_It's as much as I can take  
And you're so independent  
You just refuse to bend so I keep bending till I break_

Puck was mostly playing this for the guys, like an audition, but he kept looking at Rachel, especially during some of the more…cutting lyrics. She'd smile back weakly, but encouragingly.

(Chorus)

_  
I've made a commitment  
I'm willing to bleed for you  
I needed fulfillment  
I found what I need in you_

_Why can't you just forgive me?  
I don't want to relive all the mistakes I've made along the way_

_But I always find a way to keep you right here waiting  
I always find the words to say to keep you right here waiting_

_But you always find a way to keep me right here waiting  
You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting  
And if I chose to walk away would you be right here waiting?  
Searching for the things to say to keep me right here waiting?_

By the end of the song, Rachel was in tears, and Puck rushed to comfort her.

"What's wrong?" asked Trey.

"It was just so…moving," said Rachel in a white-lie.

"Uh, Josh, I think we've got our next song," said Eddie.

…

"You can't be serious."

"I can, and I am," Rachel told Puck. "It's only sensible that we go on a double date with Quinn and Josh since they've never met."

"Ever heard of a blind date? People do that all the time. Alone."

"You're the one who says Josh is such a…jerk. Don't you think we should be there in case Quinn needs us?" Rachel tried to reason with him. Part of her was glad that he wasn't rushing to Quinn's aid. The other part hoped he agreed soon. Really, he was behaving perfectly, she thought, just how she'd want him to react.

"Fine. But if he acts like a dick, like he definitely will, do I have your permission to give him the beat-down he deserves?"

"That sounds fair," Rachel agreed.

…

And so, Friday night was double date night between Josh and Quinn and Puck and Rachel. If you'd ask Rachel, she'd say it went shockingly well. Puck might have also described it as shocking.

Because she was _Rachel_, and she had a way of getting under people's skin and getting them to do things they might not normally do; Rachel had convinced Josh that instead of meeting up at a smoky bar for drinks, they should all go for a casual dinner. Puck knew that Josh wouldn't know what hit him and never stood a chance against Rachel. That aspect of the evening: not a shock.

To keep up the appearance that they were older than they actually were, they decided that they would all meet Josh, rather than allow him to pick Quinn up at her home. That again, was due to Rachel's mysterious powers of persuasion. When Puck had arrived at the little Italian restaurant with the two girls at his side, he knew they looked beautiful as always. But Josh was obviously pleasantly surprised. Puck could tell because his jaw dropped, even if only briefly before he recovered. And he was practically drooling. That reaction: no surprise.

The shocking part was that Josh didn't respond with his usual douchebaggery. He was a gentleman. (?!) He was actually friendly with Puck. (?!) Puck found himself alternating between actually liking the guy and being suspicious regarding the whereabouts of the _real_ Josh and how the body snatchers had gotten to him.

"Josh, I'd like to introduce you to Quinn Fabray," said Rachel. "Quinn, this is Josh Jordan, lead singer of the band The Relentless."

"It's nice to meet you," said Quinn politely.

"The pleasure is all mine," said Josh, with surprising social grace. He didn't emphasize the word 'pleasure' suggestively either, Rachel noticed.

Josh led Quinn to the booth they were seated at by placing his hand very lightly on the small of her back. Very gentlemanly, thought Rachel. Josh sat across from Quinn, so Rachel slid in next to Josh. It just seemed sensible to sit boy-girl instead of boy-boy. Puck raised his eyebrow at her, but slid in next to Quinn.

For his part, Josh seemed to be a little flustered. He just kept staring at Quinn. Quinn was blushing under his gaze, and Rachel knew she had to do something. Puck was just sitting there looking sour, so it was up to Rachel. No surprise.

"So, Josh, tell us how you formed your band," she said.

Josh looked at Rachel. He almost looked embarrassed. "Thanks, Rachel. You're saving me from myself," he smiled.

"I don't understand," said Rachel.

Josh looked at Quinn apologetically. "You're just so…radiant. I can't believe this is real." Puck almost hurled. Josh continued, oblivious to Puck's cheek puffing and retching pantomime; and to the swift kick from Rachel under the table. "But I apologize for staring at you like this. I'm totally going to snap out of it, promise," he beamed at Quinn. "As Rachel probably knew, it's always easiest to talk about oneself." He glanced over at Rachel and gave her what must have been his thank-you-smile. First surprise of the night!

Quinn laughed lightly at his admission. "That's so flattering. You're very sweet. I _would_ like to hear how you started your band."

"Yeah, Josh, how _did_ you start your band?" Puck contributed by mockingly putting his elbows on the table to hold his head in his hands, looking as though he were enraptured by Josh.

"Well, we weren't much of a band until Puckerman came along," Josh laughed good-naturedly.

Second surprise of the night for Puck and Rachel. Puck slowly lowered his hands, stunned that Josh didn't throw his fork at him.

"We actually went to high school together, but didn't hang in the same crowds. Turned out that none of us could afford to leave Lima for college, and we all had freshman English together. Classes were kind of a breeze, and we all could use extra cash, so we started a band and tried to play parties and stuff. See, Eddie and Trey had been in a band, but their frontman went away for school. They needed a charismatic leader." Josh grinned. Puck rolled his eyes. "Things picked up once we turned 21 and could play the bar scene. Shortly after that, Puckerman came along, and that brings us to the present."

"You all went to high school in Lima? You didn't go to William McKinley, did you?" Quinn asked.

"No, we all went to the Christian school."

Quinn smiled widely. "Really? How wonderful."

"Why, did you all go to McKinley? Is that how you three met?" asked Josh.

"Yes, exactly. We did all go to McKinley together, but that was a while ago," Rachel said quickly. Puck shot her a look, which she interpreted as 'way to lay it on thick'. So she flashed him a dirty look back.

And that's how it went the entire evening. They had a lovely meal, pleasant conversation, with Josh barely registering Puck's attempts at sabotage, and Rachel alternating between kicking him and shooting him daggers from her eyes.

At the end of the meal, after the guys paid the checks, Puck announced that he was going to warm up the truck. "I'll go with you," smiled Rachel. She gave Quinn a reassuring nod, to let her know that she could end the date in private if she wanted. Since Quinn didn't tell Rachel to stay, she knew that Quinn had no concerns and was pleased to be left alone. Rachel trotted after Puck. He knew what he was in for.

"That went so well!" Rachel chirped. "I really want to be in there right now! But I knew I should give them a brief period of privacy if Quinn wanted it. And she did! Oh, I can't wait to talk to her. I didn't actually expect it to go so well. I figured that he'd think she was attractive, obviously, but goodness! Really, I just thought he'd be someone for Quinn to date to make Finn jealous, but I guess I wasn't really thinking of Josh's feelings. I never really thought he had feelings until now." Puck didn't have to say anything since Rachel would tell Quinn all about it. Puck just nodded and tried not to roll his eyes as often as Rachel deserved it.

When Quinn came out of the restaurant (finally), the two girls jumped and squealed. Completely ridiculous, thought Puck. This is how Rachel acted with her so-called nemesis? Then Rachel basically said everything that she had said to Puck, leaving out the part about thinking Josh didn't have any feelings. But she did admit the part about using Josh to make Finn jealous. Then she asked Quinn how she felt about that. Then _Quinn _went _on and on_ about how she didn't _know_, she thought Josh was really cute and nice, and she thought she still had feelings for Finn, but maybe it would be better to start fresh. _Then_ Quinn announced that they planned to meet alone on Saturday before the show at The Tavern, and that she was excited about it, which elicited another dual-girl-shriek, nearly sending Puck off the road. He couldn't _wait_ until he made it to Quinn's house to drop her off. Luckily, he made it there before he took his own life.

"Finally!" Puck sighed as he pulled out of Quinn's driveway.

"I'm sorry. Too much girl talk for you?" asked Rachel. Puck nodded and pushed his head back into his seat dramatically. "But don't you agree that Josh was on amazingly good behavior and those two really seemed quite compatible?"

"Do I look like Fabray? Would you just shut up about Josh?"

"Make me," she said defiantly, with a gleam in her eye. Puck immediately pulled over to the side of the road.

"Oh, I'll make you!" He took off his seatbelt and lunged at her. She squealed in surprise and delight.

…

Saturday night was Puck's show with the band at The Tavern, but Rachel decided not to push her luck by trying to get into the bar again. Since Quinn would be finishing her date with Josh before the show started, the girls made plans to meet up while the guys were doing their show. They made up an excuse about why neither of them could attend. Much to Josh's dismay. He knew he was in his element on stage.

Rachel decided that she would ask Josh if they could get some kind of backstage credentials for the next time, and Quinn thought that was a splendid idea.

…

Monday night, Rachel joined Puck for his band practice again—they were gearing up for their second weekend show at The Tavern. It was only Rachel's fourth time at Josh's garage, but she was feeling pretty comfortable and even found herself humming along to some of the songs. Some of them.

In the middle of playing "Heartbeat," Trey stopped drumming, but when Josh started to ask him why the fuck he stopped, the way Trey's hands were shaking with the phone in his hand made Josh hold his tongue.

"Uh, guys," said Trey. "I—my grandfather died."

"Shit, dude, that sucks," and "I'm sorry, man" were phrases thrown out to Trey. Rachel didn't really know Trey, but she walked to him and gave him a hug. He hugged her back and nodded in thanks.

"So, I have to fly to Florida. The funeral's on Sunday. I'm gonna miss Saturday's gig. I'm really sorry, guys," said Trey. "I didn't know him that well, but it'll be really hard on my mom."

"It's ok, it's not your fault," said Josh. "You do what you gotta do."

"Thanks, Josh. If it's cool, I think I'm gonna go home, be with my family now."

Everyone nodded and said good-byes. With Trey gone, the garage was awkwardly quiet.

"Noah has a," Rachel started, but was interrupted by Puck.

"Babe, what did we talk about?" he raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes. "About what to call me around the guys…"

"You said to call you 'Puck' around the guys," she sighed. "But I really don't think that me calling you by your given name will…" Again, she was interrupted. This time, Puck brought his fingers together, forming a closed beak.

"Shhhh," he hissed, imitating Dr. Evil from _Austin Powers_.

"_Really_? _This _is better than me calling you 'Noah'?"

"Shhhh."

"Fine! _Puck_ has a friend who plays the drums!" she shouted.

"You don't have to yell, Berry," he said.

She snapped her mouth shut and glared at him.

"Dude, what was that all about?" Eddie asked Puck.

"Oh, nothin'. She likes it. It gets her hot for me." He threw a smirk over his shoulder at Rachel.

He was wrong, she hated this. To her this wasn't their little banter they shared in private—this was in front of other people and she thought he was embarrassing her. But somehow, through the power of suggestion, by him saying that this made her hot, she was feeling…maybe…a little… "You're so immature!" she huffed.

"But you love me!" he teased.

She folded her arms across her chest, but her smile broke through.

"Whoa! You really do love each other! Awesome, guys!" exclaimed Eddie happily.

"Uh yeah, of course we do," replied Puck, looking from the guys back to Rachel, and the couple exchanged brilliant smiles.

For the second time in one week, Josh sort of admired Noah Puckerman. He had a girlfriend who'd screw in a _parking lot_, _and_ they _loved_ each other! That was one lucky bastard. But Josh couldn't allow himself to admire Puckerman. He was like his arch-nemesis.

"So, Rachel, you mentioned a drummer?" Josh steered them back on track.

"Yes, _Puck's_ friend, Finn Hudson, is a very proficient drummer. I'm sure with rehearsals this week; he could be sufficiently prepared for your performance so that you don't have to cancel."

"Oh, Berry, you and your scheming!" sighed Puck. She was already trying to get Quinn involved with Josh, and now she was throwing Finn directly in their path. Plus, he figured with all of Rachel's 'plans,' one of them had to be getting Finn to forgive him.

"This isn't scheming, it's helping!" she protested. "Josh, shall I arrange for an audition?"

"Why yes, Rachel, that would be very helpful," Josh said smoothly.

…

Rachel caught up with Quinn at lunch on Tuesday. "I have a magnificent idea, Quinn, and I want to know if you're interested."

"Ok?"

"Wouldn't it be fun to perform with the band? I'd like for us to perform a song for the boys at their rehearsal and see if they'll use it in their show on Saturday. I think it will help clear up your current romantic situation." Rachel handed Quinn the music to No Doubt's 'Don't Speak'.

"Oh, I like this song, but I don't see how this will be sending a message related to Josh." Quinn stated, then she looked at Rachel suspiciously. "You're up to something. Puck mentioned this about you."

"He did? When?"

"Oh, it was a while ago…" They both knew why Quinn didn't elaborate on when Puck had given her this information. "Look, Rachel, I'm really sorry about, you know…" Quinn started but Rachel held up her hand to stop her.

"It's ok. We're basically friends now, right?"

"Basically, yes," Quinn couldn't help but smile at the way Rachel qualified her statement.

"So, we don't have to talk about the past. We're both moving on." Quinn nodded in agreement. Rachel continued. "I will let you in on my plan. The lyrics don't have anything to do with Josh. What I didn't mention is that Finn is temporarily replacing Trey while he's out of town. The lyrics actually fit your situation with Finn."

"What?!"

"This is a good thing, Quinn. You'll both figure out your feelings. We'll both sing the song, and we'll sing it toward all of the boys. You'll see how Finn reacts, and you'll see how you react to Josh. You'll find out who you like and if Finn likes you… I think we can tell Josh likes you."

Quinn blushed and nodded.

"So, what do you say?"

"Let's do it," Quinn smiled.

…

After basketball practice on Tuesday, Puck drove Finn to Josh's place to audition for the band. Puck knew that they were desperate, so Finn was going to be the drummer no matter what, but he didn't tell Finn that. He also didn't mention that Quinn was dating Josh. Neither of the girls joined them, so that Finn could audition and focus on learning the songs for the show. Puck insisted that their presence would be distracting.

"Finn, dude, how psyched are you to be auditioning for my band?" asked Puck, trying to make conversation while still promoting his own awesomeness.

"Yeah, it's cool. Thanks for suggesting me."

"Of course. First thing I thought of was, hey, we could use Finn; he's a great drummer." No need to clarify that it was actually Rachel's idea. Finn would probably get that hopeful puppy look on his face if Puck told him Rachel's role. And Puck didn't want to have to deliver a beat-down to their only chance of keeping their gig.

"Ok, so there's something really important you need to remember," said Puck seriously. "The band, they think I'm 22. We play in bars so everyone has to be 21 or over. You might get away with being younger because you're just filling in for Trey, so it's not like you're joining the band. But you cannot, under any circumstances, indicate that I am 17. It's up to you if you want to tell them you're in high school or not. I'll go with whatever you say. Cool?"

Finn nodded slowly. The idea of playing in a band was pretty sweet, so he didn't want to screw it up just to screw Puck over by revealing his age. He didn't know if he could pull off such a big lie to say that _he_ was 21 though. Finn hoped they just didn't ask him his age. He was so tall and muscular that people usually assumed he was older anyway.

Neither Josh nor Eddie questioned Finn's age. They were just happy he was a half-decent drummer. They made him play a few songs, then said he had the job. Finally, they made him practice most of the cover songs in their repertoire before calling it a night. (Original songs would be asking too much. And they didn't bother to test him as a backup singer. Puck and Eddie would be enough for one show.)

Puck congratulated Finn and asked if he wanted to carpool to the rehearsals for the week. Maybe they weren't best friends again, but they had reached a slightly-better-than-civil friendship.

Rachel was happy to hear that when Puck called her that night.

…

On Thursday, Rachel knew that the band would be picking the set list, and she and Quinn _had_ to be at the rehearsal to perform their song. She easily persuaded Noah to let them tag along despite Finn's presence. She didn't reveal that it was _because_ of Finn's presence that they really needed to be there.

"I have a suggestion. Just for this one show, perhaps Quinn and I could be guest singers." Of course, Rachel's ultimate plan was to try to let Finn and Quinn work things out—even if that was to be just friends. She didn't care (that much) if they actually performed in front of a crowd or not, as long as they performed while Finn was filling in for Trey.

Josh was skeptical.

"We sing competitively, and we're quite good," Rachel stated.

"They really are. Isn't that right, Finn?" prodded Puck, not sure how he became Rachel's ally in Operation Finn-Quinn.

"Yep, they're terrific singers."

"I took the liberty of copying some music. Quinn and I will perform this song for you, as you play, and you can decide if you'd like to add it to the set list this weekend." Rachel passed out the music to 'Don't Speak.'

Quinn gave Josh a sultry look, "Please? Just let us put on a little show for you." Finn clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on the drumsticks. When did this happen? Quinn and the dude from Puck's band? He was like, old.

Josh brightened at Quinn's attention. "When you put it like that, what choice do I have?" he shrugged and grinned. Quinn kissed his cheek and Josh's smile widened. Finn frowned.

Rachel began, singing to Noah:

_You and me  
We used to be together  
Everyday together always _

Eddie and Josh exchanged wide-eyed looks at the quality of Rachel's voice. Then Quinn sang, smiling at Josh. But she moved passed him, directing her words to Finn:

_  
I really feel  
That I'm losing my best friend  
I can't believe  
This could be the end_

Then Rachel and Quinn sang in harmony, but they turned and walked to face each other instead of the guys:

_It looks as though you're letting go  
And if it's real  
Well I don't want to know…_

_Don't speak  
I know just what you're saying  
So please stop explaining  
Don't tell me cause it hurts  
Don't speak  
I know what you're thinking  
I don't need your reasons  
Don't tell me cause it hurts_

To Puck's surprise, Rachel and Quinn switched places, with Rachel singing to Finn, and Quinn singing to him.

_  
Our memories  
Well, they can be inviting  
But some are altogether  
Mighty frightening _

He was slightly uncomfortable with the change, and he was relieved when the two girls sang facing each other again. He couldn't help but think _that_ was totally hot.

_  
As we die, both you and I  
With my head in my hands  
I sit and cry…_

_Don't speak  
I know just what you're saying  
So please stop explaining  
Don't tell me cause it hurts (no, no, no)  
Don't speak  
I know what you're thinking  
I don't need your reasons  
Don't tell me cause it hurts_

Not to ignore Josh and Eddie, Quinn sang to Eddie and Rachel to Josh:

_  
It's all ending  
I gotta stop pretending who we are...  
You and me, I can see us dying...are we?_

Rachel moved to sing to Eddie, but Quinn went to Finn, leaving Josh seriously confused. But he could still think clearly enough to realize two things. One: these girls could _really_ sing. Two: these girls were _really_ sexy. Crowds would appreciate both.

_  
Don't speak  
I know just what you're saying  
So please stop explaining  
Don't tell me cause it hurts (no, no, no)  
Don't speak  
I know what you're thinking  
I don't need your reasons  
Don't tell me cause it hurts  
Don't tell me cause it hurts!  
I know what you're saying  
So please stop explaining_

Quinn moved away from Finn to stand in front of Josh, pressing her finger to his lips. Rachel performed the same move on Puck. Josh was pleased. Finn—not pleased.

_  
Don't speak,  
don't speak,  
don't speak,  
oh I know what you're thinking  
And I don't need your reasons  
I know you're good,  
I know you're good,  
I know you're real good _

For the final verses, Quinn and Rachel turned to each other, bobbing with the music and reaching for each other. Nothing sexual, although the boys seemed to take it that way.

_  
Oh, la la la la la la La la la la la la  
Don't, Don't, uh-huh Hush, hush darlin'  
Hush, hush darlin' Hush, hush  
don't tell me tell me cause it hurts  
Hush, hush darlin' Hush, hush darlin'  
Hush, hush don't tell me tell me cause it hurts_

All the guys traded looks that said the same thing, 'Dude! That was hot!'—but they all kept their cool and just nodded at the end.

"Well, what did you think?" Quinn asked Josh. Josh brought his hand to his chin, stroking his scruff and making a show of pondering his decision. Rachel and Quinn both huffed and stomped their feet, glaring with their hands on their hips, causing all of the guys to burst out laughing.

"You're in for Saturday," proclaimed Josh. Quinn squealed and threw her arms around his neck. Rachel had a similar reaction with Puck. Finn and Eddie felt distinctly left out and exchanged grimaces.

Puck couldn't help bragging on his girl. "You should hear Rach sing something with a wider range. This was nothin'." Puck beamed proudly and Rachel beamed back at him.

"Well, it's just this once—we're not becoming a chick band, got it?" said Josh. Puck and Rachel exchanged smirks at Josh's statement. There was the guy they knew.

Finn searched his mind for something he could say to take Quinn's attention away from Josh. "So, Quinn, I was just thinkin'…You never told me what you and Puck bought Dizzy for Christmas this year. I remember you mentioned that you were going to go shopping together."

Quinn blushed. Where'd this come from?

"Yes, Finn," Quinn answered. "That was weeks ago, but thanks for asking. Puck and I bought her a teddy bear and a darling little dress."

"Wait, you know their daughter too?" Josh asked Finn. These four seemed to be really close. He tried to ignore his jealousy at Finn's behavior and the idea that Puck had gone shopping with Quinn—it was for _their_ daughter after all. And he'd only been out with Quinn like twice, so he shouldn't feel this strongly.

"Yeah, of course. Quinn called their baby Dizzy because _I_ wanted to name her Drizzle… Not that I had any reason to name _their_ baby," Finn said pointedly.

_Drizzle_…What the fuck? As soon as Josh got over the bizarre name, he realized he could feel the tension in the room, but he had no idea why. "And you all probably went to high school together, huh?"

They all just nodded.

"What, do they grow musicians on trees at McKinley?" Josh asked incredulously.

"Hardly," scoffed Rachel. "You're looking at four of the star members of the McKinley High Glee Club." As soon as she said it, she mentally slapped herself. "I mean, former members, of course."

"Right," said Josh. "_Four_ of you?"

"Finn sings too," said Quinn quietly.

"Huh," came Josh's noncommittal response.

Josh finished the set list, and the rest of practice was uncomfortable at best. "Luckily, we still have Friday to rehearse," Josh told the guys. "Uh, Quinn, Rachel, I think you two are excellent performers. You don't need to rehearse with us on Friday. We'll just be making sure that Finn and Puck can keep up with our songs since they're the new guys."

So Quinn and Rachel were politely banned from Friday's practice. Which was just as well since they would have extra long glee rehearsals, considering that Sectionals were Saturday. Rachel looked to Noah to remind him of his obligation. He just held up his hand and nodded to say 'I know'.

"Finn and I will be late on Friday, but we'll be here. We have a thing until about 8, but we'll stay and practice as long as it takes, right Finn?"

"Right…Well, we also have that _thing_ really early in the morning too, so…not too late…"

Josh just rolled his eyes. "Whatever, guys. Do whatever you want. Eddie and I will be here." Eddie nodded supportively. It was a strange feeling. Here he was in his own garage, and he and Eddie were like the odd ones out, and the four of _them_ were this weird clique with _history_ and shit.

Quinn could tell that Josh was upset. "Well, it sounds like I won't see you Friday, but I'm looking forward to seeing you Saturday," she smiled shyly.

Josh softened. "Yeah, me too. Your song will be a great addition to the show."

"Oh!" exclaimed Rachel. "Josh, can you get us some backstage credentials so we can wait in the wings until our cue for the song?" She and Quinn didn't want to have any trouble with their lack of id.

Josh waved his hand dismissively. "You don't need anything. Just come in with us and you'll be fine."

"Great! See you then. Bye Eddie!" Rachel flounced to the couch to gather her things so they could leave. Puck had driven Quinn and Rachel in his truck and Finn had driven separately. Rachel noticed that after Quinn gave Josh a chaste kiss on the lips, Finn asked her if she wanted a ride home with him. She elbowed Noah and they shared a smirk.

…

That Saturday was a big day. The new foursome had Sectionals in the morning to afternoon, and the band's show that night. New Directions felt fairly confident with their numbers: 'Times Like These', 'Maybe I'm Amazed', and 'Love You Madly'. They were a bit concerned about the girls from Jane Adams' Academy because they had good vocals and amazing, if overly sexual, choreography. But New Directions' vocals and dancing skills (particularly during 'Love You Madly') really blew away the judges. They won unanimously again.

Some of the gleeks found it strange that Puck, Rachel, Finn, and Quinn all rushed away from the school parking lot after Sectionals instead of agreeing to participate in a glee victory party.

"Maybe on Sunday," Rachel suggested, without explaining why the four of them were otherwise occupied.

"There's something strange going on here," said Artie to no one in particular. But Tina, Mercedes, and Kurt nodded as they stared after their departing teammates.

…

That night at The Tavern, everything went off without a hitch. Puck got a little limelight with his Staind song. The girls got attention with their best Gwen Stefani impressions. And Finn was just enjoying the view from the drum kit on a real stage in a real bar.

Backstage they were glowing in the success of their performances. Finn, Eddie, Puck, and Rachel were actually talking happily, only semi-aware that Josh and Quinn had moved to a dark corner. Rachel was pleased at the progress between Finn and Noah, which was the main thing on her mind at the moment, besides how wonderful it felt to get the applause from her duet with Quinn.

THWACK! The sound of Quinn's hand meeting Josh's face startled the rest of the group. Puck thought it was right out of a comic book. Everyone turned to see Josh rubbing his cheek and glaring at Quinn, who was flushed but glaring right back. "I'm not that kind of girl!" she exclaimed and turned on her heel toward Rachel and the others.

"Way to lay the smack down, Fabray!" praised Puck.

Finn rushed to Quinn's side. "Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

Quinn smiled weakly. "Yes, I'm ok. No he didn't hurt me. I think I hurt him."

"Cool," Finn smiled. "That slap was pretty hot."

"Finn!" she shoved him, but it was playfully. "It did feel awfully good to smack somebody," she admitted. "Except for the stinging in my hand." Quinn didn't like not knowing what Finn's intentions were with his remark, but she decided to treat it like a flirty friendship.

Josh watched in amazement at the exchange unfolding between Quinn and the replacement drummer—whatshisname. Finn? Ridiculous name. He headed over to them so he could apologize.

"Quinn, hey, I'm really sorry," he started. "I _did_ have the wrong idea. I thought you were into me like that. And you're really beautiful; I let myself get carried away…" He was actually being honest. "I'm sorry I overstepped my bounds and upset you. We ok?"

Quinn looked at him skeptically, but he actually seemed sincere. She nodded. "Yes, we're ok. Thanks for apologizing. I may have over-reacted…"

Finn didn't like where this was going. "Dude, you have to treat a girl with respect," he announced, putting his arm around Quinn's shoulders. As much as Quinn was pleased by the gesture, she was also intrigued by Josh. Josh seemed genuinely interested in a romantic relationship with her, while Finn was constantly bouncing back and forth between feelings for Quinn and feelings for Rachel.

"Finn, I appreciate your protectiveness," she said as she slid out from under his arm. "But Josh and I have gone on a few dates, and I'm interested in seeing where this leads. I'm glad you and I are friends. But I accept his apology, and I'm giving him a chance to make it up to me." She smiled shyly at Josh, who nodded gratefully.

Rachel and Puck looked on in amazement, glancing at each other to confirm that they were each seeing what they thought they were seeing. This was not Rachel's plan at all really. And both were shocked at Josh's recent behavior. Rachel had agreed with Puck's assessment of Josh as a douche, even though she'd never use that term on purpose (it had only slipped out once accidentally—she'd been hanging around him too much). Somehow, lately Josh seemed to be almost nice, like he was really trying to be a gentleman. Either he was a great actor (still very possible) or he was actually into Quinn. Rachel supposed she could still count this as a victory for her plan to help Quinn and Finn sort out their feelings for each other, even if she had predicted that Josh would just be a catalyst to bring them back together. Maybe he'd be the catalyst for Quinn to actually move on—especially if Finn really had lost all romantic feelings for Quinn after what she had done to him—it might be for the best.

Quinn followed as Josh led her away, guiding her by the small of her back. He wanted to be careful not to upset her again by pushing her too far before she was ready. Maybe she was worth it. She was kind of irresistible, with incredible beauty and a feisty personality. Really, she might be the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Josh couldn't help thinking that he'd be lucky if he could hold onto her and convince her to be his girlfriend. Josh also couldn't help throwing a victorious look over his shoulder at Finn. What? He had a dick, not a vagina. He had to balance out his sappy feelings for this girl with some macho posturing. It was the circle of life or some shit.

Damn, thought Finn. First Rachel with the friends thing, now Quinn? Wait, he'd told Quinn they were just friends. This was his fault. He was an idiot. He probably needed to figure out some stuff. He did want to be friends with Quinn. But seeing her like this, with that Josh jerk, made him feel super jealous. What was wrong with him?

Puck laughed out loud when he saw Finn smack himself in the forehead. That poor bastard.

…

**A.N.** I started writing and this is what came out, so I need help again. If you have a preference, **Vote Now:** should **Quinn** end up with **Finn or Josh** at the end of this story? Or **neither**? I could write either Finn or Josh more or less douchey, depending on what you want. I see Josh as a mix of traits—a bit like Puck and Rachel actually. Imagine if Puck never had the catalyst for change of being a baby daddy, and Rachel never had the social-emotional growth to switch her singular goals to team goals… Josh has self-confidence, but also insecurities, he can be an asshole, but I'm giving him a heart too. I've been writing Finn douchey too (inadvertently), but he's mostly just confused and reacting to his hormones. He's starting to forgive both Puck and Quinn.

So, do Quinn and Finn get together? Or should Quinn and Josh become a Reformed Team Evil? **Act asap** because I'll be writing **Valentine's Day soon**, and I have two alternative ways for it to go.


	19. I Want You To

**A.N.** Thanks to everyone who let me know what you think about Quinn's situation! Latest poll results are in my Profile—you can still vote. The first song is the Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melody". Thanks, **chrpangel**, for keeping me stocked with great songs, like this one we mind-melded on: Weezer's "I Want You To". For lyrics, boys only is italics, group singing is in bold, girls only is underlined.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or any songs.

…

**February, Junior Year **

"So, Berry, next weekend's the Superbowl…" Puck began.

"Should that have some meaning to me?" asked Rachel absently as she did her homework on her bed next to him.

"You do know what the Superbowl is, don't you?"

"Yes, I just fail to see its relevance to me."

"I think you should come over on Sunday, and we'll have a Superbowl Party."

"Isn't that more like a male bonding thing?"

"Nah, I could tell you about football, and you could refill the snacks."

"That sounds thrilling," she said dryly.

"Well, we'd both be doing services for each other. You'd be generously bringing me snacks, and I'd be generously providing you with football knowledge."

Rachel raised her eyebrow at him.

"Hey, you should want to learn about football so you'll know what's going on when you're cheering me on in the stands next year," he smirked. She smiled, since he revealed how he wanted her to be with him so far in the future. Not that she didn't know how he felt. But it was nice to have occasional confirmation.

"Shouldn't I learn about basketball or baseball now instead?"

"True, we should have some tutoring sessions on those topics too," he grinned. "But think of the Superbowl as an opportunity to watch the greatest game of the year with _me_, the top offensive player on McKinley's team."

Before she knew what she was saying, Rachel said, "I thought Finn was the top player since he's the quarterback."

"Ouch, you're killin' me, Berry," said Puck, clutching at his heart. "Finn couldn't make plays if it weren't for me being awesome enough to catch the shit he throws. I'm the top receiver. And he gets sacked all the time, the poor bastard. Of course, our idiot offensive linemen are to blame for that."

"Ok, some of those terms have little meaning to me."

"Exactly, you're proving my point. That's why you need me to explain these things to you on Superbowl Sunday," proclaimed Puck triumphantly. "Besides, I only have one more football season left…"

They were both silent as they realized what he was about to say, and the implications of only one more year at McKinley. After graduation, who knows what will happen, where life will take them. Their eyes met; their faces serious. Puck had to lighten the mood, to push onward. "It's just one Sunday, Rach. Surely you can watch football with a stud like me instead of gossiping with Kurt or whatever."

Rachel could tell he didn't want to discuss the weighty issue they had inadvertently stumbled upon, and frankly, neither did she at the moment. There wasn't much that could be said for now. "Ok, fine. I will attend your Superbowl Party," Rachel relented. "I can help you with the guest list and such. We should invite everyone from glee."

"Guest list? There's no guest list. It's just you and me, baby."

"But you said Superbowl Party?"

"Ah, the party is in my pants," he said, reaching for her. Watching football, having some sex; perfect way to spend a Sunday. Actually perfect would be watching football _while_ having sex. I'll just bend you over the couch…"

"Stop right there!" Rachel interrupted, thoroughly appalled at the turn of the conversation. She freed herself from his grasp and stood up next to her bed.

"But babe, I'm getting a hard on just thinking about you in one of your little skirts…"

"If you value your life, you will not complete that sentence!" Rachel threatened. She hadn't been having sex long enough to feel comfortable with his…proclivities.

"Lighten up, Berry!"

"Well you need to straighten up!" Rachel huffed. Puck rolled his eyes at her. She flipped out at the strangest things. Other times, she'd be flirting her little ass off with him.

Rachel continued, "I think you should throw a Superbowl Party with everyone from glee. It would be another good bonding experience. Especially since we didn't do much to celebrate our win at Sectionals. This could help pump us up for Regionals."

"Pump us up?" mocked Puck.

"Yes," Rachel went on, "Besides, we can have sex, normal sex, in a bed, after everyone leaves."

"Ah, now I know what got your panties in a twist."

"Noah!"

"It's ok, babe. Sure, we can have normal sex, in a bed, for as long as you want. But really, I think you'll like it if we do it dog—"

"PUCK!"

"Ok, ok. No fancy stuff for now. I get it. But you were ok with my truck, right?"

"Well, those were special circumstances and it wasn't the most comfortable venue, but yes, if we were in a remote, completely private location with no chance of getting caught, your truck would be a reasonable substitute for a proper bed."

"Right. And what about outside someday, in the grass, under the stars?"

"That sounds like it could be pleasant," she agreed hesitantly.

"Exactly. It doesn't have to be in a bed to be _normal_. We could do it in a closet, the shower, on the couch."

"Yes, I suppose…"

"Ha! See, you said we could do it on the couch!"

"Hey!" she folded her arms across her chest. Then she looked at him worriedly, "You're wording was so… I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with…" she trailed off, embarrassed at her inexperience. She just didn't know what to expect. And the way he talked about _bending her over_ seemed very much like it was about his satisfaction only. It seemed like it would be very sexual and not very intimate. Part of what she liked best was looking into his eyes as they held each other, with the two of them _present_ in the moment, _together_.

"Have I ever done anything you're not ok with?"

"No," she whimpered.

"And you know that if I ever did, you could tell me and I'd stop, right?"

She nodded, but her eyes were filling with tears.

"What? What's wrong?"

She smiled waveringly, "You're a sexual deviant, but I'm so glad I have you—to share these experiences with you. You make me feel so safe."

Puck pulled her into his arms and held her, even though her tears (and maybe snot) were soaking through his shirt. "Hey, hey, it's ok. Of course you're safe with me. You're always safe with me." He felt her nod against his chest as he stroked her hair. "And I'm not a sexual deviant." She hiccupped as she tried to scoff. "I'm not! I'm just a 17-year-old stud with a bit more experience than most because I'm a badass sex-god." That got her to giggle, and Puck was pleased at the sound. He figured it must be Rachel's time of the month because she was so emotional, but he knew better than to ask her and endure her wrath. Rachel looked up at him, with red-rimmed eyes.

"We're still hosting a real Superbowl Party, though. It will have to be an after-party in your pants."

He smirked down at her, but brought her back into a hug. "Fine, I can live with that."

When Rachel had calmed down, they both went back to doing their homework, although they weren't concentrating very hard. Rachel was surprised when she got a call from Kurt. "It must be something big if he didn't just send a text," she explained to Puck as she answered it.

"Kurt, what's going on?" she asked.

"I have news. Good news. But it's scary too. I'm kind of freaking out…" It was Kurt's voice, but Rachel had never heard Kurt speak without the air of confidence he always maintained. He barely sounded like himself. "Alex, _my Alex_, is transferring to McKinley. His dad got some administrative job at OSU Lima, so Alex will be in school on Monday."

"Kurt, that's great! I'm so happy for you! Why aren't _you_ happy for you?"

"I am. _I am_. It's just, we have this whole long-distance relationship thing going on, and now, he's _here_. And I don't know what if he'll want to be my boyfriend. I'll be heartbroken if he doesn't, but I'm _scared_ that he _will_ want to be my boyfriend because I don't know how everyone at school will deal with it, not to mention my dad. He's supportive, but clearly uncomfortable with…you know."

Rachel nodded sympathetically, even though Kurt couldn't see her. Puck smirked at her, but he was curious about her conversation. "Well, of course you know that you'll have to talk to Alex about his feelings," she said. "But I understand why you're feeling torn like that. If you like, you could talk to my dads about how they have dealt with being a gay couple out in Lima. I'm positive that they would be more than willing to share their experiences with you."

"Thanks, Rachel, that could be very helpful. I will talk to Alex, I just needed to vent and blow off some steam before I work up the nerve to have the 'define the relationship' talk."

"Oh, is that a real thing? I don't think Noah and I have ever had that," said Rachel.

"Well, I think you two are on the same page, so I wouldn't freak him out with that. Besides, he'll know it came from me, and I'll never hear the end of it."

Rachel snuck a look at Noah. "You're probably right, Kurt. I won't bring it up." Of course, Puck's ears tuned in to that. Now, he wanted to know what Rachel had decided not to bring up.

Rachel wished Kurt luck and made him promise to call her when he wanted her to make arrangements with her dads. Then she nonchalantly went back to doing her homework. She started the countdown in her head. Three…two…one…

"So, what did Kurt say you shouldn't bring up, Berry?" Puck asked, thinking he was so smooth.

Rachel smirked. "Oh, nothing. I'm sure you wouldn't be interested."

"Well, if it's something I'm not interested in, then it won't hurt to tell me." Puck was pleased with his logic.

"Ok," Rachel said brightly. Now Puck was suspicious. That was a little too easy. He might regret this. "Kurt is going to have a so-called 'define the relationship talk' with Alex. And he said I shouldn't bring up one with you."

"Oh, is that all?" Puck said, relieved. "Hummel's right. No need to bring that up. I'm going back to my homework now." Puck turned and tried to look busy. Rachel threw a pillow at his head.

"Well, you're my boyfriend, and I'm your girlfriend, right?"

"Right," he said simply. No mine fields so far.

"And there is a certain holiday coming up to celebrate romantic relationships, right?"

"I've heard that."

"And is there anything special you would like to do with your _girlfriend_ on that day?"

"I'd love to fuck your brains out, in the most romantic way possible," he declared.

Rachel threw another pillow at him. Luckily, she had a lot more she could throw if necessary. She wasn't asking for a real define the relationship talk, just a date to the Valentine's Day Dance.

…

At school on Monday, Puck and Rachel caught up with various gleeks to invite them to their Superbowl Party. Puck took the jocks, and Puck gave Rachel the 'full-on geeks'. Rachel didn't dignify his insult with a remark, as much as she wanted to do so. There appeared to be only one hold-out among the invitees: Quinn.

Puck had caught up with Quinn before first period to invite her. She told him that she wasn't interested since she'd probably try to see Josh that day.

"So, you and Josh… You're really serious about that guy? He's a lot older than you; you should be careful," Puck warned.

Quinn laughed softly at his protectiveness. "Thanks for your concern, Puck. He's only three years and four months older than I am. And besides, I've only had one serious boyfriend in my life. I think it's time that I live a little. It doesn't have to be serious."

"_One_ serious boyfriend, huh? I guess you're referring to Finn. What does that make me?" Puck was honestly a little hurt by the way she seemed to have forgotten everything they'd been through.

"Oh, you're in a league of your own," Quinn responded with a laugh. She smiled, "You're my baby daddy."

Puck grunted instead of returning her smile. He couldn't believe how her words and disregard for him could still actually hurt his feelings. It was almost like she'd just called him a 'Lima Loser' all over again. "Whatever, Fabray. Just don't get yourself stuck in a stupid situation. You're not known for making the best life choices, you know?" He pointed to himself with both thumbs. "Prime example, this guy." And with that he stalked off down the hall.

"Puck! I didn't mean anything by it!" she called after him. He didn't turn around. She wasn't sure if he heard her or not.

He did.

But it didn't make a difference. He hated that Quinn could get under his skin like that, even when she didn't mean to. It kind of made it worse, that she wasn't even trying to be a bitch. She just didn't think that what they had was 'serious' when it had meant so much to him, even though that seemed like ages ago. It's not that he wanted anything from Quinn now. He didn't. He just didn't want to feel like those months he'd spent trying to take care of her and Dizzy were complete wastes of his life that didn't even register on Quinn's radar because she was so caught up with Finn or Josh or whoever.

He needed Rachel to get him out of the dark mood he found himself in now. She believed in him. Puck knew that he meant the world to Rachel, just like she meant the world to him. She was his world. Even with all her crazy, he thought maybe the world would be a lot cooler if it were just him and Rachel. Scary thought.

…

Rachel's day was far less earth-shaking. When she arrived at glee, she could tell Puck was in a bad mood by his scowling expression and exceedingly poor posture. "What's wrong?" she asked. He grunted, "Tell you later," so Rachel didn't push. She knew better. He would tell her in private, she was certain. So she tried to find something to occupy her mind so she wouldn't be tempted to bother Noah about his problem. When Rachel saw Kurt enter the room, she was surprised not to see Alex with him, and that was a good enough distraction for her.

"Kurt, where is your handsome friend, Alex? He will be joining New Directions right?"

Puck picked up on two things. "Berry, first off, how do you know Alex is handsome? And two, how do you know he'll be in glee?"

"Well, Kurt and I met Alex in show choir camp. He's a very good singer with an excellent range, similar to Artie's; and I have a feeling he'll give Finn and the rest of you boys a run for your money for any leads. Since we met, I can say that yes, Alex is handsome. First, you might appreciate that he seems athletic."

"He plays football and runs track," Kurt said proudly.

"Ah, that's why," smiled Rachel, as she continued her detailed description. "He's physically attractive with his dark hair and these piercing blue eyes…"

"Piercing blue eyes? Really, Berry? I don't know if you wanna talk about 'piercing' when you're talking about gay dudes who like to take it in the ass."

Kurt blanched, as he noticed Alex was just walking in. But that's not what set Rachel off. "Noah Puckerman! You better learn to control your derogatory language! You know you'll be having dinners and other social engagements with my dads. And they will not take kindly to your degrading treatment of the gay lifestyle! And I don't appreciate it either!"

"Whoa!" Puck put up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, Rach. And I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm a stupid asshole, that's just me. But I'll work on it for you, baby," he looked at Rachel apologetically. She nodded back and gave a small smile. At least he said he'd try.

Kurt's leading man walked in, followed by a scrawnier version of Alex, complete with braces on his smile. Still, one could tell that the younger boy had serious cuteness potential.

"Damn, Kurt, looks like he's brought his own boy-toy, sorry little fella," said Puck, not realizing that he had already stepped over Rachel's gay sensitivity rule until he saw her glare. He gave her a sheepish look back.

"That's his little brother, sicko!" huffed Kurt.

Both new boys walked straight to Mr. Schuester. "We're here to audition. We just transferred," said Alex. "I'm Alex, this is my brother, Eric." They each handed Mr. Schue a piece of paper, containing their student information and request to join glee club.

"Ok, great! Do you have something in mind to sing?" They nodded.

"This is a song we sang in our last show choir," explained Alex. The brothers didn't face each other because that would be creepy. They stood in front of the other kids in glee on the risers, but they faced Mr. Schuester, auditioning for him. They counted down and sang acapella.

_Oh, my love, my darling  
I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time  
And time goes by so slowly  
And time can do so much  
Are you still mine?_

_I need your love  
I need your love  
Godspeed your love to me_

_Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea  
to the open arms of the sea, yeah  
Lonely rivers sigh 'wait for me, wait for me'  
I'll be coming home wait for me_

_Oh, my love, my darling  
I've hungered, hungered for your touch a long, lonely time  
And time goes by so slowly  
And time can do so much  
Are you still mine?_

Puck saw Rachel gripping her seat and leaning forward, eyes gleaming. He didn't know why until he heard the boys sing the next lines. She had been anticipating the high notes.

_I need your love_

Damn! That was way higher than the high B!

_  
I need your love  
Godspeed your love to me--ee_

Puck felt a tightness in his chest watching how Rachel was so impressed with the singers. He was glad the dude was gay and the little brother was so…little. He knew they weren't serious competition.

"Wow, boys! That was just tremendous," praised Mr. Schue. "But I'm afraid I have to stick to the rules I imposed at the beginning of the year. Eric, you will be in our freshman choir this semester. But next year I have no doubt that you will be in show choir. And Alex, I'd like to welcome you to New Directions!" Everyone clapped and made sure they had picked up their jaws from the floor.

Mercedes' heart had melted for Eric right there during the song. Maybe she had a thing for unavailable gay boys. Not that Eric had to be gay just because his brother is. She watched as he gave a little wave and left the room since he wouldn't be in their glee club. Sure, he was young, but he could be a perfect date for the Valentine's Day Dance, since she didn't have any better prospects and now Kurt would be taken. And as a freshman, he wouldn't be able to go to Prom unless a junior or senior asked him, so maybe she'd wrap that up now too. Get the uncomfortable questions out of the way all at once. Maybe she'd ask Kurt to ask Alex to ask Eric if he'd go with her. No, she needed a plan to introduce herself first. How could he say yes if she was some random girl asking him out? She didn't need to make him her boyfriend, just a date to school dances would be nice. Mercedes' thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Schue's droning about their set list.

"…We have a lot of pop songs in our mix, and with Rachel's prompting, I decided we should revisit Broadway tunes. We'll do 'Defying Gravity' as a group, featuring a duet by Kurt and Rachel." Kurt and Rachel exchanged grins. "So let's finish off the day by practicing that one."

At the end of their hour, Will wrapped things up. "Remember, we'll need a 30-minute set for Regionals instead of the 15-minute set like Sectionals. So we'll be adding more songs as well. I think we definitely need to feature our newest member, Alex, in a song. He'll be a bit like a secret weapon, since he transferred after we performed at Sectionals…" Will trailed off in his own excitement, thinking that this year they might really stick it to Vocal Adrenaline and go on to Nationals! Then he cleared his throat, "Ok, guys, we'll work hard this week, but you're free to go for today."

Mercedes grabbed Kurt by his elbow. She unhanded his shirt at his glare, but she whispered her plea into his ear. "Kurt, you've gotta help me. You owe me for bailing as my go-to-date for every dance!"

"What? We never said anything about that."

"It was implied," she said, narrowing her eyes. "I wanna meet Eric."

"Alex's little brother? He's a baby!"

"Shut it. I don't care. He's cute. I wanna snatch that up!"

"Ha! Alright, Miss Jones. Do you have something in mind?"

"Like not exactly a group date. Maybe invite some of the others from glee like Puck and Rachel, Tina and Artie, for a movie or whatever. It can't be a double date. And at the last minute, you and Alex invite Eric so he doesn't have time to bring someone."

"Sneaky! I like it and I'll do it."

"Yay! Thanks, Kurt!"

"You're welcome, honey," smiled Kurt. "Oh, the Superbowl Party is this weekend! Should I just invite him to that?"

"Maybe that would work..."

…

At the next glee rehearsal, Will had an exciting announcement. "Ok, guys, listen up. I've arranged an opportunity for us to earn some money for costumes, transportation, anything we need for Regionals and hopefully…Nationals! We'll be hosting the Valentine's Day Dance! That means we'll do the set up, clean up, we'll take the tickets, and in exchange, we'll get a portion of the profits!"

Everyone groaned.

"But you can still _attend_ the dance. In fact, it's a requirement." Rachel beamed at Puck happily. Puck gave her a look that showed his level of enthusiasm, but Rachel didn't care. She couldn't wait to see him in a suit again. Her man was always gorgeous (like pinch me, I'm dreaming, gorgeous), but in a suit…So hot!

Quinn raised her hand. "Mr. Schue, what if we already have plans for Valentine's Day that don't involve the school dance?"

Finn looked at Quinn, "What, are you going out with _Josh_ that night?" She nodded matter-of-factly. "He's too old for you," Finn whispered urgently. Quinn ignored him.

"I'm sorry, Quinn," said Will. "This is a group activity, and we need everyone to participate. You will need to do your best to reschedule your plans. The dance is on that Saturday. You have any other day to make your Valentine's Day plans."

Quinn nodded resignedly. She wasn't sure what excuse she'd tell Josh. It certainly wasn't going to be that she was required to attend a high school dance for her high school glee club.

…

Puck had been ignoring Quinn all week. Not that they normally talked, but she had been trying to talk to him to find out what was wrong. Finally, Rachel explained a few things, for which Quinn was grateful. Rachel _may_ have arranged for Puck to meet her in the choir room and then left him alone in there with Quinn instead. That _may_ have been how Puck found himself face to face with Quinn.

"Puck, honestly, I didn't put you in the 'boyfriend' category because I really do think of what we had as more than that. There was a time when I thought we might actually get _married_ and be happy together. But you and I didn't work. We tried it, and we know it. In order for me to deal with life and be normal, I had to move past that. I try not to think about that time in my life only because the thought of everything I did to hurt everyone I care about, including you; and the thought of Dizzy out there, it's just so hard… I'm sorry I ignored what we had and hurt you with what I said earlier."

"Ok," said Puck flatly.

"Ok?"

"Yeah. I just needed to know it did mean something to you too. I get why you'd try not to think about it or talk about it, though."

"Friends?" she asked cautiously.

"Friends," he affirmed with a smirk. He opened the choir room door. "Ok, Rach, we're all good," he called into the hallway. Rachel popped up from around the corner and came charging in, deftly sweeping both Puck and Quinn into an awkward three-way hug.

"I knew you would be!" Rachel chirped. Puck and Quinn exchanged smirks, but those faded into true smiles at Rachel's enthusiasm. She really was something else.

…

It was no secret that Finn was Mr. Schue's favorite student. And Finn knew it too. At least he thought he had a special bond with Mr. S, and if he asked him for a favor, he thought the chances were good that he'd get that favor. So when he had talked to Mr. Schue after rehearsal on Thursday and suggested a song that the group could potentially work on for Regionals, he wasn't surprised that Mr. Schue brought it up at glee on Friday.

"Ok, everyone, as you know, we need to add songs to our repertoire for Regionals. Finn suggested a song by Weezer that came out about a year ago called "I Want You To". Most of you probably know it already." Will saw the smiles and nods of the students. "Finn is right that the song is catchy, it lends itself well to choreography, and there are great opportunities for showing off our harmonizing skills." Finn was proud of his find and glad that Mr. Schue gave him the credit because this song had a message: from him to Quinn.

"So we'll run through it once together, then for the rest of the period we'll focus on getting all of your harmonies right. Next week we'll work on this song and choreography. Boys, you get to be featured heavily with this song, with most of the verses coming from you." Will played the recorded music.

_The moon was shining on the lake at night  
The Slayer T-shirt fit the scene just right  
Your smeared mascara; I looked into your eyes and saw a light_

_You told me stories about your chickadees  
They didn't like BB guns or stupid archery  
You charmed the lifeguard; He let them use the pool all day for free_

_**Then the conversation stopped, and I looked down at my feet  
I was next to you and you were right there next to me**_

_Then I said  
Girl, if you're wondering if I want you to __(I want you to)__  
I want you to __(I want you to)__  
So make a move __(make a move)__  
'Cause I ain't got__** all night**_

Puck and Rachel couldn't help but sing directly to each other during the chorus, with bright smiles on their faces.

_  
__**The rest of the summer was the best we ever had  
We watched Titanic and it didn't make us sad**__  
I took you to Best Buy  
You took me home to meet your mom and dad_

_Your mom cooked meatloaf, even though I don't eat meat  
I dug you so much, I took some for the team  
Your dad was silent  
His eyes were fixed to what was on TV_

_**Then the conversation stopped, and I looked down at the ring  
Your folks were next to you, and you were right there next to me**_

Finn kept trying to catch Quinn's eye. Quinn kept trying to avoid Finn's eye. She felt some kind of reverse déjà vu…if there was such a thing.

_Then I said  
Girl, if you're wondering if I want you to __(I want you to)__  
I want you to __(I want you to)__  
I swear it's true (swear it's true)  
Without you__** my heart is blue **_

Alex and Artie: _Oooh, whoa-oh_

_Girl, if you're wondering if I want you to (I want you to)  
I want you to (I want you to)  
So make a move __(make a move)__  
'Cause I ain't got__** all night**_

(All Harmonizing):_**So much pain may come our way  
There may come a day when we have nothing left to say  
**__  
_Finally, Quinn looked at Finn. She wasn't sure which part of the song he meant for her.

_**When the conversation stops and we're facing our defeat  
I'll be next to you and you'll be right there next to me  
Then I'll say**_

_Girl, if you're wondering if I want you to __(I want you to)__  
I want you to __(I want you to)__  
I swear it's true (swear it's true)  
Without you__** my heart is blue**_

Alex and Artie: _Oooh, whoa-oh_

_Girl, if you're wondering if I want you to (I want you to)  
I want you to (I want you to)  
So make a move __(make a move)__  
'Cause I ain't got__** all night**__  
__**Whoo!**_

After rehearsal, Finn asked Quinn to talk with him. "I asked Mr. Schue if we could do that song because it's like, my message to you." He looked down at her in a way that was slightly shy and flirtatious at the same time.

Boy, Finn knew how to work a girl's heart, Quinn thought. "Which part, Finn? Did you mean the part about the relationship ending?"

"What? No! There's a part about relationships ending?"

Quinn found herself starting to smile—that was the Finn she knew. But at the same time she was upset by his actions. "So you're telling me now that I'm dating someone, you're interested in me? Romantically?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so."

"You know, I didn't pull this when you tried to have something with Rachel. Or when you had your little fling with Santana!" she said pointedly. "I stood back and let you make your own choices. I have only expressed my interest in rekindling our romantic relationship when you were single and free to make a decision to try again with me. You're putting me in a very terrible position, Finn. No matter what I do, somebody gets hurt."

"I'm sorry, Quinn. I didn't think about it like that. I just, you know, wanted you to know how I feel. Just like the song. So, if you were wondering…the answer is, I want you to…you just have to tell me if you want me too." Finn looked at her with such vulnerability, like a lost puppy.

"I have plans with Josh this weekend. I need time to think about this, Finn," Quinn said, sounding exhausted.

"Yeah, I get it. Think about it, and let me know," he gave a half-smile, and left Quinn alone with her thoughts.

Quinn found it strange yet oddly comforting that the first people she wanted to talk to were Rachel and Puck.

…

It seemed like the band was becoming a fixture at The Tavern on Saturdays, so Rachel and Quinn were able to follow the guys in and hang out backstage without any problems. They never tried to drink. They both explained that they were on diets and alcohol was full of empty calories. Josh and the other guys bought it because it sounded girly.

Josh wondered why Quinn was never able to meet him during the week for lunch, but she told him she had classes all day, which seemed legit. Most of Lima's students were commuters, so it wasn't uncommon for people to get their classes out of the way in a long block and then go home. Plus, they'd only been dating for about a week, so there was no need for Josh to act all clingy and shit. It was up to the girl to be demanding of his time. He just wondered _why_ she wasn't more demanding of his time.

As they were packing up the equipment after the show, Rachel nudged Puck to remind him to tell Josh about next Saturday.

"Ok, we were a trio before, we can live without you for one show," Josh said. "But I'll still see _you_ there, right, Quinn?" He asked because sometimes it seemed like Quinn was part of a weird package deal with Puckerman and Rachel.

"Actually, I can't come next Saturday either. We all have another engagement," Quinn said apologetically.

Yep, package deal. Josh narrowed his eyes. "Let me guess, the _four_ of you are going out for Valentine's Day." Josh was including Finn in his own mind.

"What? No! Of course not!" protested Quinn. Even though technically they would all be together. She could tell Josh was talking about Finn and didn't bother to ask him to clarify. "What makes you think that?"

"It just seems like he's after you, Quinn," Josh shrugged. "Did you break up with him, leaving him heartbroken and trying to get you back?"

Quinn flushed with embarrassment. "Actually, we did date, but he's the one who broke up with me."

"Why in the world would _he_ break up with _you_?"

"Well," she started to get a little teary-eyed, but she wouldn't permit the tears to fall. "I did something terrible to him."

"What could you have possibly done?"

She swallowed hard and decided to be honest. "I had Puck's baby."

Josh's eyes widened. A million thoughts raced through his mind. She had slept with Puck while dating drummer boy! He decided to ask the most pressing question. "Not that I'm not opened-minded, and I know we just started dating, but you're not seeing anyone else are you?"

Quinn smiled. "Only you." She leaned in to kiss him.

Josh pushed, "So you and Puckerman don't hook up sometimes, for old times' sake?"

"No!" Quinn crossed her arms indignantly. "Besides, Puck wouldn't cheat on Rachel."

"Huh, but you would cheat on me?"

"No! That's not what I'm saying! I just figured since I just told you I had cheated on my last boyfriend, and you and I are still getting to know each other, it would mean more if I pointed out how ridiculous the thought of me with Puck would be. Puck and I had our time together and it didn't work out, at all. And you've seen those two together." She gestured to Rachel and Puck who looked busy putting the guitars into their cases.

"I suppose that makes sense," Josh admitted. "So I guess you're saying that Puckerman wasn't with Rachel when you two hooked up."

Quinn nodded. "Right. Puck kinda had a crush on me back then, and we were both mad at Finn. At the time, Finn was showing interest in Rachel, even though he and I were dating. So we sorta got together out of anger at Finn. It was immature."

"Well, I can't pretend to understand that… Funny, in all this you're making Puckerman sound pretty innocent, romantic even, but he acts like he's a real ladies' man."

"Oh, he is! Or was. You should've seen what Puck was like before Rachel! He had sex with pretty much all the cheerleaders in high school, plus people's _moms_; really anything with a body and a pretty face!"

"With that haircut, he got that much play?" Josh asked incredulously.

"Hey, the Mohawk plays with the ladies!" interrupted Puck, who promptly received an elbow to the gut from Rachel for revealing they had been eavesdropping.

Josh ignored Puck for the moment. "And you said that the drummer was your last boyfriend?"

Quinn looked startled, like she'd been caught. But she responded quickly, "Yes. With all of the drama that had happened, I haven't been ready to be in a serious relationship since then." There, she didn't reveal how recent her break-up with Finn and her relationship with Puck really were.

"Yeah, sounds like your life's been kinda like a soap opera or something," mumbled Josh.

"You have no idea," said Quinn and the two eavesdroppers nearly simultaneously.

…

**Superbowl Sunday, Junior Year**

Rachel woke up earlier than usual on Sunday morning. She had been out late because of the band's show, but she needed to do her workout, finish her weekly cleaning routine, finish her homework, and help clean the Puckerman house before the party. And by _help_ clean, she meant clean on her own while Puck bickered with his sister and both Puckermans pretended to be unduly occupied by tasks that would have taken Rachel only minutes to complete. It might have been cute to see them bonding over getting out of cleaning their own house, if she weren't the one stuck with all the work. Mrs. Puckerman was working a 12-hour shift, so Rachel knew that cleaning would also help out in general.

"Babe, you know you don't have to do all that," explained Puck. "It's just our friends. They're not going to care if you don't dust the bookshelves."

But Rachel wouldn't hear any of it. By the time she finished, she was pretty tired, but she took a shower at his house to refresh herself and get ready for their party. _Their party_. It was kind of neat, and she wanted everything to be perfect.

The first guests to arrive, surprisingly, were Brittany, Mike, Santana, and Matt. "Dude, you mind if I hit the head?" Matt asked Puck. Puck nodded and reminded him that the bathroom was around the corner.

"Nice of you to invite us over, Puck," said Santana. But Puck wasn't fooled by her innocent statement; he knew there was more. And he knew it would come as soon as Rachel came in the room.

"Things haven't changed much since I was here last… Same old springy couch," Santana said as she bounced on the sofa, causing the springs to squeak as she looked at Puck suggestively.

"Can it, Santana. Why don't you go finger fuck Brittany?"

"NOAH!" shouted Rachel. Santana looked quite pleased with herself. Rachel continued, "Your sister is here!" She pointed upstairs.

"She wouldn't know what I'm saying," Puck rolled his eyes. "And she's used to my language."

"So does that mean we have the go-ahead to use your room?" Santana asked, as she tugged on Brittany to join her. "We _both_ know our way there," she said looking Puck straight in the eye. She ignored Rachel, but Rachel knew this show was mostly for her.

"I'll never know how you became such a skank-ass bitch, Santana," Puck spit out. "Your mom is such a sweet, _giving_ woman," he said, wetting his lips. "But at least we know your rack will fill out when you grow up."

This time, Rachel didn't stop him, even though she found his retort revolting. Instead, she stepped in front of the stairs to prevent Santana and poor confused Brittany from making more progress. "Of course you cannot go upstairs to perform _any_ indecent activities with _anybody_. Sarah is home, and she does not deserve to be exposed to anything unseemly." Rachel vowed that she wouldn't let Santana's attitude ruin their party.

"Whatever," said Santana as she turned away from the stairs. She had made her point with her little show. She and Brittany or she and Matt could get their freak on later. When Santana realized she had left Brittany standing in front of Rachel, she motioned for the dumb blond to join her back in the living room.

"Damn, Santana," said Mike. "You really are a bitch."

"Do you have a point? Besides the one on your head?" smirked Santana.

Mike felt the top of his head. "No and No." Something in the pre-game show captured Mike's attention. No real use in arguing with Santana anyway. She was a bitch and everyone knew it. Matt came out of the bathroom with no idea what he had missed. He sat next to Santana, who smiled up at him sweetly.

More guests arrived, including Kurt, Alex, Eric, and Mercedes. Rachel raised her eyebrow at Mercedes, who giggled and looked at Eric, who was completely unaware of her attention. Rachel was surprised, but smiled and nodded in understanding. Finn showed up, but he looked pretty depressed. So Rachel thought it would be best if Puck tried to talk to him alone; and she shared this thought with Puck, who was obliged to cooperate. During half-time, Puck asked if Finn wanted to go outside and shoot some hoops. He didn't invite the other guys.

"So, you seem kinda down. I was wondering if it was about Quinn. Of course, I'm probably the last person you want to talk to about this…" said Puck, tossing Finn the basketball.

"Yeah, you and my mom are tied for last place," said Finn, making a basket.

"Yeah," Puck chuckled. "But I know Josh, so if you wanna ask me anything, like come up with a strategy, or something, I'll try to help." Puck made a basket from the place where Finn had stood. They had basically started playing HORSE without actually saying anything out loud.

"Ok, I have a question. Why'd you introduce Quinn to Josh?" Finn made another basket.

Puck shrugged. "It was Rachel's idea. She thought Quinn should have someone to date." Puck tried to remember what Rachel had said. "She said something about how it would either help Quinn move on from you, if that's what you wanted, or it would help you realize that you actually still have feelings for her. You know Rachel, she came up with some big plan and she used big words to explain it, but that was basically it." Puck made his basket.

"I guess you can tell her it worked," said Finn.

"So, this means you're not gonna keep cockblockin' me with Rachel, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you two are good together. Better than I expected," said Finn sincerely. "Of course, I'll still have to kick your ass if you hurt Rachel because she's a good friend." Puck rolled his eyes at the insulting compliment and the empty threat. Finn continued, "Seeing you two makes me think about the time when I was like, over the moon for Quinn, the beginning of sophomore year. Before things got confusing and she started getting so bitchy because she was head Cheerio. I want that feeling back again, you know?"

"Dude, that's really gay," said Puck. Then he mentally smacked himself. Cutting out the gay commentary was going to be hard.

…

Puck came back inside from his basketball talk with Finn and talked football with the other guys to find out what he missed. "Did you miss me?" asked Puck as he picked Rachel up from her seat on the couch so he could sit in her spot. He pulled her down on his lap.

"I think I actually pined," she teased as she settled into a comfy position. Puck smiled because he actually knew what she meant.

"Watch it, Berry. I'll think you're being insensitive to the Puck Pining Period of 2011," he said. He felt Rachel stiffen on his lap.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"I'm just messin' with you, Berry. And showing off my improved vocabulary," he squeezed her around her waist and he felt her relax as she leaned back against his chest. She nuzzled his neck.

"Well, I'm still sorry. And I _am_ impressed with your vocabulary and use of alliteration."

"Litter-what?"

"Nevermind. This game is taking forever. I don't know why it started so late. And the half-time show was mediocre at best this year," she complained.

"It's going into overtime. That means it's a really good game."

Rachel scoffed. Then she leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Wake me up when the game is over and you're ready to have sex."

Little Puck perked up at that, and Puck was almost ready to kick everyone out of the house so he could convince Rachel to try the couch thing. Because seriously, she would love it if she tried it. But then he noticed her breathing slow…she really was falling asleep! What a tease, he thought. But somehow, that thought came out fondly, since she hadn't lied. When he realized she must be tired from all that cleaning, he _almost _felt guilty. So Puck watched the rest of the game while running his fingers through Rachel's hair, oblivious to the looks from the guests, which ranged from 'utter disgust' to 'in awe of the cuteness'.

…

**A.N.** Eric has braces because in real life Amber said she likes braces on her boys. And even though lots of fics are doing Macedes (my name for Matt-Mercedes), I had to do this instead. **Pwer2corrupt**, there is a little shout out to you with Quinn 'living a little'. To **sweetcaroline1986** who mentioned a grand gesture, don't worry, this wasn't it. Also, if this story drags on too long now that Puck and Rachel aren't separated, let me know. I want to end the story while people still like it rather than beat the life out of it. So, if anyone has changed your mind and thinks that it should end after Valentine's Day instead of going all the way until the end of junior year, please tell me. Thanks again for reading and reviewing! **Next up:** Valentine's Day.

**Disclaimer:** A few lines were inspired by _Jack and Bobby_.


	20. Collide

**A.N. **The song is "Collide" by Howie Day. Mature scene indicated for potential skippage. Thanks for reviews and song suggestions. More should make it in the upcoming chapters as the story comes to a close. Happy Valentine's Day!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or any songs.

…

**February, Junior Year **

As was typical for a weeknight, Rachel and Puck were doing their homework together, this time at Puck's house. Rachel had taken to reading aloud from the SAT prep book so if she was studying, it was like he was studying too. Puck had been trying to do his math homework as she stated words and their definitions. She closed the book and announced she needed a break. Normally, a study break meant make out time, so Puck turned to his side, ready for action. Instead of responding to him, he saw Rachel get up from the bed and begin picking through the clothes in his closet.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"I'm checking your wardrobe for your attire for the Valentine's Dance," she said matter-of-factly.

"You realize that I'm not really into dances and I'm only doing this because we have to go now for glee, don't you? You know I'd rather be having our own _private_ dance," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively even though she was still looking at his clothes.

Rachel spun around to face him. "_You_ realize this will be our first school dance together, don't you?" Rachel asked, hands on her hips.

Puck opened his mouth to protest, but stopped when he realized that Rachel had gone with Finn to the Winter Dance and he'd gone with Quinn. And things hadn't ended well… He snapped his mouth shut.

"Exactly," said Rachel. "So what are you going to do about that?"

"Make it up to you?"

"Right. And my dads go on a trip every year for Valentine's Day, so it looks like we'll both get what we want."

"Nice!" he grinned at her wolfishly.

"Noah! I want to see your Noah smile!" Can you blame her for wanting a little romance?

Puck smirked at her. Rachel pouted. He smiled genuinely at the sight. She was too damn adorable.

"Thank you," she smiled, as she leaned down onto the bed to kiss him.

"Well you're welcome, little lady," he drawled and tipped his imaginary cowboy hat before pulling her down to join him on the bed.

Rachel wasn't a fan of Westerns, but she was a fan of Noah Puckerman, and he had a way of making her melt over the tiniest things. She couldn't wait for the weekend!

…

Unbeknownst to Rachel, her fathers were having second thoughts about going on their yearly weekend trip for Valentine's Day. This year Rachel had a boyfriend, and while they knew she was a responsible girl, they weren't sure if it would be responsible parenting to leave her alone with said boyfriend. It had only recently come to their attention that after the brief breakup which had left their daughter crying in bed, the two had become a couple again, rather than just friends. The worried fathers remembered that Noah Puckerman was the boy with the Mohawk, but that was about all they could recall from the time they had met him when Rachel had invited the glee club for a celebration during Thanksgiving Break. They decided that a family dinner was in order, so that they could decide if they should cancel their trip this year. Of course, they didn't tell Rachel that the success of the dinner would be directly related to whether or not they would keep their traditional Valentine's Day plans.

…

Rachel broke the news of their new dinner plans to Puck the next day at school. He was less than thrilled.

"It's not like your dads haven't already met me. I don't give good parent," he complained.

"I know, but they are making a big deal out of having a special dinner with you. They said they won't take 'no' for an answer, and it has to be this week."

"Sounds ominous," said Puck.

Rachel's eyes lit up, "Great SAT word!" she praised. Puck shook his head and chuckled. Rachel looked back up at him seriously, "But I think you're right. It does sound ominous. I'll try to glean more information about the purpose of this dinner. So should we postpone it until the last possible minute before my dads' trip, say Thursday?"

"Yeah, the later the better," Puck agreed. He wasn't sure why his gut was twisting in anticipation of this dinner. Maybe it was because he had trouble thinking before speaking, so he was sure to make some comment about something being gay and be in for a world of hurt from all three Berry's. Or maybe it was because he wanted nothing more than to have sex with the Berry's only daughter, and even though they were gay dudes, Puck had a feeling they'd be just as protective and perceptive as any dads would be. "Let's talk about something else, anything else," Puck suggested.

"How about what we're going to wear to the Dance on Saturday?"

Puck rolled his eyes. "Go ahead, talk away." So Rachel did.

…

Dinner at the Berry's could have gone…better. The evening started out fair enough, but it rapidly deteriorated. Puck was very proper during the formal introductions, always addressing Rachel's dads as "sir" and Rachel made sure she wore a conservative outfit, so Puck wasn't tempted to stare at her legs all night, and was even mostly able to avoid touching her at all. The meal was great, pasta, salad, and breadsticks, even though Rachel admitted that it was take-out. Rachel and Puck sat across from her dads, and after the salad course, the interrogation began.

It started out so simply with questions about Puck's classes. Then they turned up the heat with questions about his ambitions and future goals. Rachel glared across the table at them, but Puck answered. "Honestly, sirs, it was only recently that I started to think about my ambitions. And that was mostly inspired by your daughter here, believing that I could be more than a Lima Loser like my dad." Rachel beamed with pride at him, and Puck couldn't help but grin like an idiot back at her.

Rachel's dads almost softened at the sight. Almost. "So, what _are_ your current goals for your future then, Noah?"

"Right," his head snapped back to attention. "My current goals are to do well on the SATs and in my classes so that I can get into college. I'll figure out my major then, but I've thought about education and coaching, or maybe kinesiology, and I'd really love to keep doing music, but I'm nowhere near as talented as Rachel." Rachel beamed at him again—he was doing so well! She really wanted to kiss him, but she just gave his thigh a squeeze under the table.

"Few people are as talented as our little star here," agreed Rachel's dad.

"She's going places," piped up Rachel's other dad. Puck nodded to show he agreed.

"So we're curious to know how serious the relationship is between you two…"

Puck wasn't sure what the right answer would be here. They clearly didn't want him holding back their star, but they surely didn't want someone who wasn't serious about her to be stringing her along right? While Puck paused, Rachel jumped in.

"He's my boyfriend, Daddy. We're dating. We going to the Valentine's Dance together this weekend. We're going to the Prom in April. What else do you want to know?"

"Are you two having sex?"

Puck's fork dropped to his plate with a clatter and he muttered "Shit" before he could stop himself. He heard Rachel gasp, but he couldn't tell if it was in response to the question or to his curse, everything happened so fast. Then when he looked up from his plate at Rachel, to see her blushing furiously and wringing her hands, he couldn't stop himself from laughing. Flat out laughing. He really had no idea what to say. His first impulse: lie. He started to shake his head no, in the midst of his hysterical laughter (for which he had no excuse except that seeing Rachel flustered was hilarious).

Apparently Rachel didn't get his memo on lying. Maybe she should have prepared him for this question so they could have come up with a plan. She always made plans for everything. She really let him down, and he intended to tell her so after they made it through this disaster of a dinner. Puck finally got a hold of himself, and he cleared his throat to begin the spin when Rachel beat him to it.

"Dad, Daddy, Noah and I are in a consensual physical relationship, yes. We are mature, we are safe, we are responsible, and I hope you will respect our honesty and our decision."

Puck was silent, stunned. Would that really work?

No. It didn't stand a chance.

A few moments passed as everyone sat in shock. Rachel's dads had their suspicions, but weren't expecting the response they received, Puck had been preparing to lie and had no idea what to expect from the fathers of his honest-to-a-fault girlfriend. And Rachel wasn't expecting the silence at all. She was expecting her announcement would be greeted by the support of her fathers for her maturity and smart decisions. She was way off.

Her Jewish dad began, "You're 17 years old! You think having sex in high school is mature?! That just shows how immature you are! Think of the risks, Rachel, for your _future_," he emphasized.

"Honestly, Dad, I expected more open-mindedness from you, both of you. You both know how mature I am. And while you may remember that Noah and I have had our moments…"

And for a second Puck thought Rachel had told her dads about the slushies, but then he realized she was referring to their breakup, and he breathed a sigh of relief, followed by shoving more pasta in his face to keep from having to talk.

Rachel continued, "Noah has matured a lot over time. You should see the difference between now and what he was like before the birth of his daughter…"

This time, three forks clattered onto plates. Puck's mouth full of food dropped open, though not enough for him to lose any bits before he closed it again. And this time the curse _shit_ was only in his head.

"Oh," said Rachel quietly. "I forgot I hadn't told you about that." Rachel couldn't believe the mess she'd just made.

"Wait. This is the boy we heard whispers about at synagogue? The one who impregnated Quinn Fabray?!"

Rachel nodded dumbly. It was a small community.

_Call me the insperminator,_ Puck thought ruefully. He decided not to crack that joke out loud. Or the one about how parents can be so out of the loop on the gossip—_that was sooo last year's news_. Puck thought that for an instant her dads looked like they wanted to congratulate him for being the Jew who knocked up Quinn Fabray. But maybe that was not the look that the two men shared.

"Well, I think that makes our decision easy," said her dad.

"Decision?" Rachel asked.

"We've decided to cancel our trip this year. We're not leaving you alone on Valentine's Day for a long weekend when we can't trust you to behave the way we've raised you."

"That's ridiculous! You can't cancel your trip! And you can't really think I'm disobeying you or how you've raised me! You've taught me to be a strong, independent woman who is not bound by restrictive social traditions about who to love and be with!" Rachel stood up from the table. "I'm very disappointed in you both! You can't keep me from seeing him. We're in love!" Rachel pulled Puck towards the front door.

"We can make it harder for you to see him," said her dad stubbornly. "This is for your own good. This boy obviously has experience. He has a baby for God's sake! Rachel, you are too young to deal with the consequences of a sexual relationship!"

"Too late!" she shouted. Puck smacked his forehead. Rachel pulled him out the door and started running to his truck before her dads could stop her. Puck had nothing better to do than follow her. He certainly wasn't going back in _there_.

"Drive!" she commanded frantically. Puck obeyed.

"So, do you really think running away like this helps your case? That we're so mature?"

"Shut up," she whimpered.

"Wait, you really thought that would work, didn't you? All that maturity and honesty stuff?"

Rachel sniffed. "A definite miscalculation on my part."

"I'll say. Haven't you picked up anything from hanging around me? When in doubt, lie."

Rachel glared at him, and for a few seconds he didn't realize why. "Deception is the best policy, hmm?" she said pointedly.

Oh right, the whole kissing Quinn thing.

"Well, maybe not always," he agreed. "But in this case, you have to admit, that lying might have worked better than honesty."

"Maybe. I think they were just looking for an excuse to cancel their trip and play watchdog."

"Well, you sure gave 'em a good excuse, babe."

Rachel sighed dramatically and threw her head into the back of the headrest. "Can we get some ice cream or something before you take me back home?"

"Ice cream?" he questioned because Rachel had a thing against dairy. When she didn't even respond, he said, "Sure thing."

Rachel had a fat-free, dairy-free sorbet of course, and Puck had frozen custard, but they knew they were just delaying the inevitable. The return to the Berry house. Rachel decided it would be best if he didn't come inside. There was really no need at this point. What was he going to say, _Thanks for the lovely meal_? _Sorry I'm screwing your daughter_? Hardly. So Puck agreed reluctantly and after their kiss goodbye, he watched as Rachel steeled herself and walked through the front door.

…

Puck had a basketball game on Friday night, and he was looking forward to seeing Rachel cheering for him in the stands and hanging out afterwards, but her dads wouldn't let her go. She told him so on the phone Thursday night when she recounted her argument with her dads. Rachel told Puck that they were going through a phase, but she was sure that she could get through to them. Just for awhile they would probably have to see less of each other in 'unsupervised conditions'. Puck thought that was ridiculous but didn't really know what to do about it, except to find times during _supervised conditions_ to get with his girlfriend. He decided to look at it as a challenge. Besides, if Rachel was sure she could get through to them, then maybe she could. If anyone could do it, Rachel could.

…

Quinn had to cheer at the basketball game on Friday, but afterward she had a date with Josh. Fortunately, her mom promoted the idea that Quinn should strive to be popular, so she readily agreed that Quinn could spend the night at Brittany's, who almost always had a post-game party. Staying at Brittany's house is exactly what Quinn intended to do. She just wanted to be able to stay out late with Josh rather than having to make it home to her parents' house for curfew. Quinn had gone home to shower, change, and pack her overnight bag. She left the bag in her car so she didn't give Josh any ideas.

Since it was so late, they couldn't have a real dinner date. Just a movie night in together. Quinn wore a sweater dress with leggings and boots. She thought she looked nice but comfortable.

"You look lovely this evening," Josh said as he opened the door. From behind his back he revealed a single pink rose.

Quinn smiled widely at the gesture, "Thank you! For the compliment and the rose. It's wonderful," she said as she took in its scent.

"You seemed like a pink rose kinda girl," Josh shrugged. He didn't mention the fact that he had checked online to find out what different rose colors symbolized so he didn't make a stupid mistake. They settled down onto his couch for some movie that Quinn wouldn't remember later, and it didn't take long for them to start making out.

This wasn't like how things were with Finn at all. With Finn, she had always been in complete control. What she felt now with Josh was a little bit like how things were the first time with Puck, except without the alcohol-induced haze that made things a little fuzzy and lowered her inhibitions. She didn't care what people said, wine coolers did have an effect. But it was also true that she let things go so far with Puck for a reason—she had wanted him and he had wanted her. And here, now with Josh…it was exciting…and a little scary to not be completely in control again.

He was rubbing the back of neck as they kissed and it felt so good. She reached to stroke his face.

"You shaved for me?" she breathed as she felt the smoothness where she usually felt rough stubble.

"Yeah, couldn't let you get beard burn, now could I?" he grinned into her ear.

She moved her hand from his face to his neck, mimicking the motions he made. It felt so good; he deserved to feel it too. His other hand slid up her thigh and made circles at her hip as he leaned over her, still not resting his full weight on her body as they continued to kiss. Her sweater dress was pushed up to her waist, but her leggings were solid, not tights, so she didn't feel over-exposed, but she did realize that the leggings weren't as much of a barrier as jeans would have been. She found herself rocking her hips a little with the motion of his hands as she kissed him passionately. His fingers splayed out as his circles widened. His hand swept lower and his thumb grazed her in the place that sent an electric shock through her core. _Once, Twice. Oh God, he knew what he was doing._ She shivered, and as she shifted she felt his erection press against her.

She had to stop him. This is how she got herself in trouble last year. Letting the excitement get her carried away.

Quinn inhaled sharply. "Wait," she pushed him away gently and sat up next to him. Josh looked confused for a moment, then almost hopeful, and when he realized she wasn't reaching for a condom or anything good like that, he let out a sigh and sat up too.

"I'm not sure why you don't want to spend any alone time with me. Aren't you attracted to me? It's not like I'm asking you to hand over your V-card. You've already done the deed."

Quinn gasped and looked hurt, and possibly ready to slap him again.

"Not that I'd pressure you or anything. That's not what I mean. I just don't know what's holding you back. We're both adults here. I'm just wondering why we haven't taken this to a physical level beyond kissing. Kissing you is great, don't get me wrong. It's just hard to stop sometimes. I'm not sure you appreciate how hard it is."

"Is that a euphemism?" she asked, nodding towards the bulge in his pants.

"Purely unintentional," he said. "But I really would like you to appreciate how hard it is too."

She didn't response directly to his last comment. "I'm sorry, Josh. I just have strong beliefs about sex. Originally I wanted to wait until marriage. Then I made my mistake out of stupidity not love, and I lost that chance. The first time I had sex, I got pregnant. But now I want the next time I have sex to be with someone I love and who is in love with me. With us, it's too soon to tell, don't you think?"

"Whoa, so you haven't had sex since Puckerman? Geez, I don't wanna think about that." Josh appeared to be grinding his palms into his eyes to wipe out the offending images.

"No need to get all dramatic," Quinn rolled her eyes at him. "Besides, I was barely 16 years old, we weren't making smart decisions."

"No shit! You were 16? That means you were 16 when you had your baby?" he asked quietly.

Quinn nodded, eyes a little teary. "Do you think I'm a terrible person?"

"What? No of course not! Why would I think that? You just told me that sex is a big deal to you because when you had sex it led to you getting pregnant at 16. Of course I don't think you're a bad person!" Josh wrapped his arm around Quinn and pulled her close. Quinn let herself relax a little as she let out a deep breath. "I can't help but be a little surprised though, that you haven't had sex since you got pregnant. I couldn't go that long without it, that's for sure," he said.

"I never said I only had sex once with Puck." Josh looked at her, shocked. "I mean, Puck and I started living together. We tried to raise our daughter together. But since him, I haven't had sex, so he's the only guy I've been with. That part is true."

"Ok, this is a little weird for me because I haven't ever dated a girl who's been with someone I _know_, you know?"

"Do you think I'm a slut?" she asked worriedly.

"Of course not!" Josh assured her. "I'm amazed at your ability to have gone so long without having sex, and I'm a bit impressed at the other part."

"With what?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret, if you promise not to tell the guys." Quinn nodded into his chest. "My first time was with my high school girlfriend on her eighteenth birthday, so you got me beat by two years on the V-card. But I went to a Christian school, remember?"

Quinn chucked, "I don't really consider losing my virginity a great accomplishment that should impress you. Sometimes I wish I would've gone to a Christian school," she said wistfully. "But then I wouldn't have had Diana Isabel, and I wouldn't have had the experiences that made me who I am, you know?"

"Yeah. I don't know that going to a Christian school made me a much better person anyway. After my girlfriend broke up with me, I just started having sex with girls I didn't really care about, just because I was so mad that she left I guess. And I just wanted sex. So the guys think I'm a player, and I guess I am." Quinn started to pull away from him. "I mean I guess I _was_." Josh put his hands on Quinn's shoulders and turned her towards him so he could look her straight in the eyes. "This thing between us can be whatever you want it to be. It can be open; it can be exclusive; whatever _you_ want."

Quinn nodded and nibbled her lower lip. She wasn't sure what she wanted. At school, in glee, on the sidelines at the games, she thought she still had lingering feelings for Finn. But somehow she didn't feel guilty when she was with Josh. She just felt good. Josh responded to her hesitation, though he thought her dilemma was regarding her reluctance to be in a sexual relationship again.

"There's plenty we can do without having sex. If you're interested, that is. I think you're really amazing, Quinn. I'll help ease you back into the world, Mohawk-free." He jostled her shoulders playfully.

"Slowly?"

"Yes, slowly"

"Thank you."

"I feel it is my duty to serve humanity and bring such a fine woman back into the game."

"How selfless of you," she teased.

"I thought so," he said with mock seriousness.

…

**Valentine's Dance, Junior Year**

Saturday afternoon, Kurt picked up Rachel to carpool to the school to set up for the Valentine's Dance. Her fathers had agreed to let her participate after Rachel brought home a note from Mr. Schuester explaining the glee club's involvement and giving them his cell phone number in order to contact him directly. Still, Rachel thought it would be better if her dads didn't have to interact with Noah for awhile, so she asked him not to pick her up. Since all the glee clubbers had to help decorate the gym for the dance, everyone was dressed casually and planned to go home before the dance to change. Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury were supervising the dance and the set up. Between Rachel's perfectionism and Miss P's compulsive tendencies, set up took a bit longer than everyone thought it would, but they all agreed that the gym looked great and the organization to funnel kids in from the ticket tables, to the photo line, to the buffet, to the seating and the dance floor was the best of any dance at McKinley.

Rachel made plans to get ready at Kurt's and let Puck pick her up from there.

Puck got ready for the Valentine's Dance in the dark gray suit that Rachel had selected, with the red rosebud boutonniere she had picked. He thought it was a bit too dressy for the Valentine's Dance, but who was he to argue?

"Oh, honey, you look so handsome!" exclaimed his mother as she passed by his bedroom. "So, what are you giving Rachel for Valentine's Day?" she smiled.

"Huh? She's getting the corsage she picked out and me, coming to this dance with her," Puck shrugged.

"What!?" his mom shrieked.

"Damn, Mom, my ears!"

"Noah, you _must_ give your girlfriend something on Valentine's Day!"

"Well, now's a fine time to tell me!"

"Honey, it's common knowledge," she chided.

"Not for me! And it's not like I have a lot of spare cash. Or a lot of spare time when she's not around!" he defended.

"It's ok, calm down. It doesn't have to be expensive. Just go out and get a little something that shows you were being thoughtful."

Puck stood there trying to think of what to buy Rachel. Maybe flowers, but everybody bought flowers on Valentine's Day, so he needed something else too.

"Well, you're ready aren't you? Then get going!" his mom prompted. Puck did a quick check to make sure he had everything he needed and made a dash for the door.

…

Running about ten minutes late (which was still early because Rachel had wanted to get to the dance extra early to help with any last-minute setup), Puck arrived at Kurt's house to pick up Rachel. Burt Hummel answered the door.

"You're not Alex."

"No, sir."

"You're in the glee club too. You must be here for Rachel."

"Yes, sir."

Mr. Hummel stepped aside to let Puck in the doorway. He knew she'd look great in whatever she wore, but that knowledge didn't detract from his reaction at the sight of her in her dress. She was breath-taking in the short (!) red satin dress and high heels.

"Lookin' good, Berry," he choked out as she walked toward him.

"Thank you, Noah," she said demurely. "You look quite dashing."

That seemed to jar him from his stupor. He kissed her on the cheek so he wouldn't smear her lipstick, and he whispered in her ear, "Seriously, you look beautiful, Rachel." She looked up and smiled at him so brightly, he thought his heart skipped a beat.

"Here," he held out the wrist corsage she'd selected. A small red rose with purple baby's breath accents.

"It's perfect!" she chirped.

"Of course it is; you picked it," he smirked.

"That's true," she agreed. "I'm just so pleased. We're going to make the best of this night." She left out the words she was thinking, _despite my fathers_.

"We'll see you there, Kurt! Thanks Mr. Hummel!" called Rachel, as they headed out to Puck's truck. Rachel was a little confused when Puck headed to the driver's side instead of the passenger side. He always opened the door for her when they went on dates. But she saw that he didn't get in the truck, he just pulled something out of the seat.

A present!

In one hand Puck held a single red rose. In the other hand he held a tiny red gift bag. Rachel eyes lit up. "Don't get too excited. The bag cost more than the gift," he mumbled.

Rachel took the rose and inhaled the scent deeply. She wanted to remember every detail she could about her first real dance with Noah. Then she looked inside the little bag. She pulled out two lip gloss tubes. One was vanilla and one was grape.

"Oh, thank you so much! I love them!" she exclaimed as she reached up to hug him.

"Yeah, you're welcome. It's kind of a self-serving gift. I thought you'd like the flavors and I'd like the flavors when we kiss. Plus they don't have a color or glitter, so I won't look like a freak after kissing you."

"That's a perfect idea! I shouldn't have worn this silly red lipstick!" she cried.

"Nah, leave it; it's hot," Puck said when she started to take a tissue out of her wristlet to blot it.

She smiled at him. "I'll trade in the lipstick for the lip gloss a little later tonight," she said suggestively.

"Now that is a perfect idea," Puck agreed whole-heartedly.

…

Puck and Rachel arrived at the dance a bit early, so only the gleeks were there. Everyone looked great. Most were paired off in couples as dates, but also to man various stations during the dance. Quinn was paired with Finn for the first shift at the ticket-taking table. But Quinn sought Rachel out right away and patted the seat next to her, which was supposed to be for the other pair of ticket-takers, Tina and Artie. "Switch shifts," Quinn whispered urgently, "I need to talk to you!" Rachel's eyes widened—sometimes she was still caught off guard by her friendship with Quinn. To be honest, sometimes the friendship caught Puck off guard too.

Tina and Artie easily agreed to take a spin on the dance floor in place of Rachel and Puck. They still had a few minutes before the doors opened to let in the students, so Quinn whispered hurriedly in Rachel's ear, as the boys sat quietly on the two ends of the table, pretending not to listen. "I saw Josh last night. He wanted to have sex. He acted like it should be simple since I wasn't a virgin." Rachel gasped at the impropriety, but Quinn continued speed-talking. "I was like, I need to know a guy's in love with me before I have sex again, you know?" Rachel nodded, still with her ear next to Quinn's lips.

Finn was relieved to overhear this conversation. He made a mental note, _don't bring up sex like it's simple now that she's not a virgin._ Because he had totally thought about asking her what's the big deal since she had sex with Puck, shouldn't they have sex too? Second mental note, _proclaim love first_. Finn thought that this was a very helpful shift at the ticket table.

Puck thought this was a terrible shift at the ticket table. He didn't want to think about Quinn and Josh having sex. Gross. Although Quinn whispering in Rachel's ear and Rachel leaning into her like that was kinda hot. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

…

Call her paranoid, but as they were taking tickets to the dance, it seemed to Rachel like every girl was checking out her boyfriend. Even the girls with dates. She wanted to wave her corsage in their faces, to say 'see, it matches his boutonniere' we're together!', but she held her tongue. It only got worse once they finished their ticket shift and made it onto the dance floor themselves. Rachel couldn't help but notice the dirty looks she was getting from other girls. It didn't make her feel proud. It made her feel uncomfortable.

"People are looking at us, Noah," she told him as they danced to a slow song.

"How many times do I have to tell you? We're a couple of hot Jews. It's natural for people to look," he smirked.

Rachel didn't share his amusement. "No! Not like that. It's like all the girls are looking down on me."

"They're just jealous. If you haven't noticed, I'm a stud."

"Believe me, I've noticed. I just don't think I realized how much everyone hates me and thinks I don't belong with you. I mean, I _knew_, but I guess I've been living in a glee bubble or something. I don't think I saw all the dirty looks at the Winter Dance because you came with Quinn. That made sense to everyone. And I guess when I went with Finn it wasn't a big surprise, or maybe I got the same looks but didn't notice because I was so busy looking for you at the dance."

"Babe, you've gotta stop thinkin' like that. Who gives a fuck what these idiots think? I sure as hell don't! You shouldn't either." He held her tighter. "Hey, it's just you and me. We're all that matters."

She nodded, wiping at the tears before they could spill over. She was wearing water-proof mascara anyway. "You're right. You're the best boyfriend ever," she smiled. Rachel heard the beginning of another romantic slow song. "I think this should be our song. At least this will be the song that helps me remember this moment, and how I feel right now."

"Our song, huh? Then may I have this dance?"

_The dawn is breaking  
A light shining through  
You're barely waking  
And I'm tangled up in you  
Yeah_

Quinn sat across the table from Finn in her pale pink dress with a modest silhouette. She was just staring blankly at the sea of couples, but Finn thought she looked beautiful. As he heard the song, he had a vague memory that the song was about two people finally coming together. Maybe it was the perfect time. "Quinn, do you wanna dance?"

Quinn nodded and took his hand. Dancing with him was so familiar. They fit so well together.

_  
I'm open, you're closed  
Where I follow, you'll go  
I worry I won't see your face  
Light up again_

Finn leaned down and sang softly in her ear when he recognized the chorus. Reverse déjà vu again for Quinn.

_  
Even the best fall down sometime  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
Out of the doubt that fills my mind  
I somehow find  
You and I collide_

_I'm quiet you know  
You make a first impression  
Well, I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind_

On the other side of the dance floor, Puck laughed out loud at how well some of the lyrics fit his relationship with Rachel. She laughed too and swatted him playfully. She reached up to sing to him.

_Even the best fall down sometime  
Even the stars refuse to shine  
Out of the back you fall in time  
I somehow find  
You and I collide_

_Don't stop here I lost my place I'm close behind_

_Even the best fall down sometimes  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
Out of the doubt that fills your mind  
You finally find  
You and I collide_

_You finally find  
You and I collide  
You finally find  
You and I collide_

As the song ended, Finn had to ask her. "So, Quinn, have you thought about what I asked before? Are you still dating Josh?"

"Yes, I have thought about it. And yes, I just went out on a date with Josh last night. He makes me happy, Finn."

Finn slumped at her answer. "Quinn, you're entitled to be happy, even if the idea of you and Josh makes me wanna hurl on your shoes."

"Thank you, Finn. I appreciate that selfless, if tasteless, statement."

"You're welcome."

Quinn thought about Josh's selfless statement that was made in jest and Finn's selfless statement just now. Maybe Finn was growing up. Still, there was one major reason she had started to hold back from Finn. Rachel had rubbed off on her a bit, and before the dance Quinn had decided to make a Pros and Cons list about Finn and Josh. Sure, at the beginning of the year she had just wanted to get Finn back, so her recent doubts had been prompted by some deep thinking after she met Josh, but now that she really thought about it, it was a big deal: Finn's feelings for Rachel.

"If you and I started dating again…what about Rachel?" Quinn was surprised by how she fumbled over the words.

"What do you mean? Rachel's with Puck now."

"Exactly. Now. What happens when they break up? How do I know you won't break up with me for her?"

"Aw, Quinn," Finn said, "don't you remember what it was like when we first started dating? At the very beginning?"

"It was magical," she whispered.

"Yeah, it was!" Finn nodded enthusiastically. "Wouldn't it be awesome to get that back?"

She vaguely registered that he had dodged her questions—intentionally or not. He looked so cute; Quinn couldn't help but smile back at him. "Yes, that would be _awesome_." She mimicked his words.

Finn's face brightened as a huge smile graced his face. He drew her up in a hug, assuming that was a 'yes'. Quinn hugged him back, then pulled away so she could ask a question.

"So how do you feel about an open relationship?" Maybe she could date them both.

…

There was still about a half an hour left for the dance but couples here and there were departing, leaving a few scattered tables abandoned. Kurt approached Mr. Schue to ask if some of the clean up could begin early.

"I think we could begin clearing some of the deserted tables so we could finish up a little early. Some people have church in the morning and things."

Mr. Schue raised his eyebrow at Kurt.

"What? Are you saying I don't go to church?"

"No, of course not, Kurt."

"Ok then. Can I have the key to the supply closet so a few of us can start subtly returning the decorations while you chaperone?"

"Sure, Kurt. That's a good idea."

"Thanks, Mr. Schuester." Kurt hurried off to gather up a few items and drop them into the supply closet. Then he dropped the key off in Rachel's waiting hand.

"What was that about?" asked Puck at the exchange.

"Kurt got the key to the supply closet to start cleaning up early, and he just gave it to me," she grinned.

"Ok? Good for you?"

Rachel smiled at his lack of understanding. "I have the key to a place we can go, where we can lock ourselves in…"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" he said excitedly.

"Actually, I kind of did," Rachel corrected with amusement.

"Well, it's not like you said, hey Puck, let's fu—" When Rachel squeezed his hand sharply, he paused because she looked more alarmed than her usual offense at his language. Then he caught a glimpse of red hair in his periphery. "F-finish cleaning up these empty tables… I'm all about helping with that." He scooped up the centerpiece from the nearby table and he and Rachel headed to the supply closet.

Emma didn't think much of it except that if the students were already starting to clean up, she'd better try to find Will to have a dance before it was too late.

… _Mature scene_ …

Rachel felt her hands shaking as she unlocked the closet door. She turned on the light switch, revealing a single light bulb in the center of the small room. Puck threw aside the centerpiece and locked the door from the inside. They both had their backs to the door, as if making an additional barrier to prevent anyone from interrupting what they were about to do. Puck turned to face her, hands against the door, effectively pinning Rachel in as he leaned closer.

"Wait!" Rachel wiped off her lipstick and pulled out her wristlet. Puck pushed off of her with one hand to give her room.

"So, which lip gloss did you pick?" asked Puck.

"Taste me and find out," flirted Rachel.

"Oh believe me, I'm ready to savor your flavor!"

"Savor your flavor? Ugh, that's a terrible line!" exclaimed Rachel.

"Seriously, 'cause your body is telling me it's working," he reached between her legs unceremoniously.

"Let me explain. If Jacob had used that line, it would rate a 2. But somehow coming out of your mouth, I guess it's an 8. Maybe everything about you makes me hot."

"Then let's stop fuckin' around and start _fuckin' around_!"

She rolled her eyes at him, but her eyes closed as he kissed her and pushed her up against the closet door, lifting her up to straddle his waist. The sound of the door banging a little under their weight was not going to work for their covert operation, and Rachel remembered she had already planned for this.

"Stop! I have something," she whispered to him. After he lowered her to the ground, Rachel pulled out a blanket from behind a shelf.

"Seriously, a blanket, Berry? You came in with a mini-purse. How the hell did you get a blanket?"

She grinned as she spread the blanket out on the floor.

"You staked this place out? You brought this with you when we set up this afternoon, didn't you?" Puck asked in awe.

She beamed and nodded.

"Holy shit, you are the best kind of evil!"

She unzipped her dress, standing in her lingerie and high heels, as she hung her dress on a hook on one of the shelves. "So it won't wrinkle," she explained simply.

"Evil!" he exclaimed, as he took in the sight of her. She unhooked her bra and hung it with her dress.

"I don't think I need that for now," she said. Puck realized he'd been standing there in shock, fully dressed. He needed to get a move on. He slipped out of his shoes so he could get rid of his restrictive pants.

Rachel strode toward him purposefully, in her panties and heels, and helped him out of his jacket. He could feel her breasts through his shirt as she pressed her body against his, and he was desperate to get that stupid shirt off so he could feel her against his skin. Rachel turned to hang up his jacket properly on a hook, and the view of her toned body and the way she looked on her toes like that was more than enough to get Puck ready to go. He handed her his shirt on auto-pilot and his erection reached her lower back. She seemed startled by the sensation of his smooth hardness against her, but pleased.

"I guess you're ready," she whispered.

"Always for you," he whispered into the back of ear. He began pulling down her thong panties, and she stepped out of them daintily. She kept her shoes on and guided Puck to lie down on the blanket. She flipped off the light switch.

Puck groaned. "But I wanna see you!"

"Shh! We have to be quiet! And we can't let anyone see the light shifting under the door."

Puck thought she was being overly cautious, but she held the power, and his penis, in her hand, so he decided not to argue. Besides, his eyes started to adjust to the darkness, and the light from under the doorway provided a fair bit of illumination from his position on the floor.

Yes, this time, Rachel was definitely in control.

Although there were several moments when Puck had more control and Rachel could barely contain herself to keep from erupting in the noises she desperately wanted to release. They grinned in the dark at the challenge of keeping quiet and did their best to push the limits of each other's fortitude.

… _End Mature Scene_ …

Will had to admit that he thought Rachel was being overdramatic when she told him that her dads requested his cell phone number and that they might call during the dance. So when Mr. Berry called him, he was actually surprised.

"I'm calling to confirm that the glee club is hosting the Valentine's Dance right now, and that my daughter, Rachel Berry, is accounted for and present."

"Yes, that's correct," Will said, thinking that Rachel must share many personality traits with her father.

"That's a relief. May I speak to Rachel?" Will looked around calmly, then a bit more frantically.

"Excuse me, sir, I can't seem to find her at the moment, but some of the students started cleaning up a bit early."

"What about Noah Puckerman? Can you locate him?"

Will started to understand what Mr. Berry was getting at. Now he was panicking. "I will search and call you back right away, sir."

"You do that."

Will made it to the first place he thought of, the storage closet. He tried the knob with a jiggle. Locked.

Rachel started to gasp, but Puck covered her mouth with one hand to prevent her from revealing their location. Rachel looked at him with panic in her eyes, but he looked back at her so calmly, and continued thrusting with an evil grin. Rachel's eyes widened at his boldness but she was overtaken by the feelings inside her, and she was so glad that he didn't stop.

Will remembered that he gave Kurt the key and ran back into the gym to locate the boy. "Kurt! I need the key to the supply closet. Have you seen Rachel and Puck?"

"Well," Kurt said hesitantly, "did you try the parking lot? Do you know which one is Puck's truck?"

Mr. Schue nodded at Kurt, eyes wide with terror, and swallowed hard. Will didn't want to catch _anyone_ doing _anything_, and somehow he felt especially uncomfortable at the thought of catching _Rachel_. But he didn't want to neglect his responsibilities. And it seemed like Rachel was a lot like her father, so Will feared a law suit could come his way if he didn't act fast. He raced down the hall.

Kurt was proud of his act and how he had misdirected Mr. Schue, who had forgotten about confiscating the keys to the storage closet (which were now in Rachel's possession). Kurt knocked once on the door, and then said, "Ok, I bought you about five minutes, but you better finish up in there and come out looking and smelling fresh and innocent."

And that's just what they did.

Well, maybe they were a little worse for wear.

When Will came in from the parking lot and saw the couple dancing, he just shook his head. There wasn't much to say. He called Mr. Berry back and handed Rachel the phone. Rachel talked brightly to her dad and returned the phone to Mr. Schue. Mr. Berry asked Will to call him when the clean up from the dance ended so that he would know when to expect Rachel home. Will agreed. He gave the high schoolers the evil eye before looking for Emma.

Rachel giggled, "That was incredible! And such a relief that we pulled it off!"

"Do you think we can get away with one more round?" smirked Puck. "I think I need some more relief. It's gonna be a long weekend."

…

**A.N.** I've been sick this week, so I apologize if it's 'off'. I liked the result well enough to post it and stop messing with it. If you checked my profile lately, you already know that there was no majority in the vote about Quinn's dating situation. So, that's how this chapter turned out the way it did on that front. This may make everyone happy, or it may make nobody happy (except **Power2corrupt**, and me). Let me know! Also, this chapter grew a bit too long, and I'm trying to make them more manageable, so I didn't do much for the other gleeks at this dance even though I had planned to. I'll have to make up for that in the Prom chapter at the end of the story.

**Up soon:** Regionals brings Rachel face to face with a past connection (my vague interpretation of casting for the back 9), and Quinn and Puck come face to face with the truth and the lies as Josh makes a discovery.

**Disclaimer:** The expression "give good parent" came from _Veronica Mars_.


	21. The Underdog

**A.N.** "The Underdog" by Spoon was a suggestion for Glee in general on the TWoP boards by a poster called **Girl86star**. Thanks to **chrpangel** for branching out ; ) and suggesting "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers for Finn, and to **PoliVamp** for suggesting "Baby I Love You" by Aretha Franklin. For that song, backup singing is in parentheses. Group singing is bold. The main girls' lines are underlined. Boys' lines are italics only. (Not a big deal though.)

There are lots of meanings for the chapter title "The Underdog". See how many you can come up with!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Glee or any songs.

…

**February, Junior Year**

Quinn spent much of Saturday after the Valentine's Dance and Sunday trying to explain the concept of an open relationship to Finn. She tried speaking more slowly. She tried to use simple words and short sentences. Now, by Monday at lunch it seemed like enough repetition had finally gotten the idea into his brain. Quinn found herself stunned that she put up with his stupidity.

But then he smiled at her and said, "So you really think that was all worth it? Explaining all of that to me? When you could've just given up and said you were just gonna date me?"

Quinn couldn't help but let out a little laugh and shake her head. Sometimes it seemed like Finn knew how to use his characteristic dimness to his advantage—by playing it up. Had he seriously been playing dumb in the hopes that she'd get exasperated and just say he was the only guy for her? Really? Well, he had gotten the exasperated part right, if that was his goal, but she probably would have gone the other way with her choice in men. Still, there was always just something about Finn Hudson, wasn't there?

Then Finn explained himself a bit more. "I mean, I'm not sure I wanted to know all of that. It might have been better for me if you'd just lied and said you wanted to date me and didn't tell me about Josh. But I guess I'm glad you can be honest with me now."

"So," Quinn said, "is that a yes?"

"Better to have some of you than none at all," he shrugged with his charming half-grin. "I guess I'll see ya around, Quinn. Maybe we'll do something this weekend?"

Quinn nodded and smiled. Finn picked up his tray and left Quinn looking after him. Just when she thought she was getting control of her relationships… It seemed like whenever she was with one of them, she was falling for his charms. But she'd fall just as hard for the other boy's charms when she was alone with him. She supposed that was the good thing about having the open arrangement. She could figure things out on her own without being dependent on the affections of one boy to make her feel worthwhile. Heck, she might end up being single at the end of the year! Well, maybe she shouldn't go too far… Finn _would_ be the perfect Prom date. And it's not like she could ask Josh to Prom. But she found herself wondering what Josh would look like in a tux.

…

Finn took the open seat next to Quinn in glee that afternoon. "So, I was thinking. I still don't like the idea really. And he's so much older than you, Quinn. Like does he pressure you, you know?"

"Finn! No!" Then she whispered, "Not that the details of my relationship with Josh are part of your business. Your business is that I am in casual relationships with both of you. Remember when I explained that? But I will tell you that we recently had a conversation about taking it slow."

"Because he knows you're 17?"

"That's not why we're taking it slow."

"So he thinks you're older, like Puck, right?"

"Finn, do you really want to talk about this here, now?"

"I guess not." Finn said. He could see she was getting upset, and that wasn't really the way to win over a girl. Besides, Mr. Schue was walking into the room.

"Ok, guys," Will announced, "I have a new song for us to perfect in the next two weeks that's going to give everyone a chance to shine in ensembles again. Particularly the girls since the boys got a lot of time with _I Want You To_. It's upbeat for great choreography, but it's a classic the judges should know."

"Well, end the suspense already," sniped Santana.

"Right," Will gave her a puzzled look. He wasn't sure what her problem was today, but he decided to let her remark slide since everyone might be on edge in preparation for the competition. "It's _Baby I Love You_ by Aretha Franklin." Santana actually smiled, so Will figured he did pretty well. Mercedes looked like she was about to burst with excitement. Rachel didn't seem to be paying much attention. "Alright, so let's try to learn your singing parts before we add the choreography later this week. We'll have an ensemble of girls for the main backups: Tina, Quinn, Brittany, Sunny, and Jules. Mercedes, Santana, and Rachel, you'll be heavily featured. And guys, you'll be in one main group together."

Kurt was about to protest that the boys should be divided by their vocal ranges, but he decided not to say anything that might make him sound too whiny in front of Alex.

Mercedes started the song:

_If you want my lovin'  
If you really do  
Don't be afraid, baby  
Just ask me_

The boys sang back to Mercedes in a slightly risky choice on Mr. Shue's part:

_You know I'm gonna give it to you  
Oh and I do declare (I do)  
I want to see you with it _

Santana picked up where Mercedes left off:

_  
Stretch out your arms little boy,  
You're gonna get it _

_  
'Cause I love you (Baby, baby, baby I love you)  
Ain't no doubt about it  
__Baby I love you,__ (Baby, baby, baby I love you)  
__**I love you, I love you, I love you  
I love you, baby I love you**_

Rachel got a solo:

_If you feel you want to kiss me  
Go right ahead I don't mind_

The boys sang back to Rachel:

_  
All you got to do is  
Snap your fingers, and I'll come running  
I ain't lying (I ain't lying) _

Then Mercedes, Santana, and Rachel sang together. Surprisingly well:

_  
I heard you once little boy  
You know you got it  
I'd deny my own self  
Before I see you do without_

_  
'Cause I love you (Baby, baby, baby I love you)  
Ain't no doubt about it _

_  
__Baby I love you,__ (Baby, baby, baby I love you)_

_**I said, I love you, I love you , I love you  
I love you, baby I love you**_

_Someday you might want to run away  
And leave me sittin' here cryin'_

_  
But if it's all the same to you baby  
I'm gonna stop you from sayin' goodbye (Goodbye)_

_  
__**Baby I love you**__ (Baby, baby I love you)  
__**Baby I need ya**__ (Baby, baby I need ya)  
__**Said I want ya**__ (Baby, baby I want ya)  
__**Got to have you baby**__ (Baby, baby I love you)  
__**Don't let your neighbors tell you that I don't want you**_

_**Don't let your low down friends tell you I don't need you!**_

_**Baby, I love you!**_

Quinn seemed in a hurry to leave glee rehearsal at the end of the day. She avoided continuing her conversation with Finn about Josh. It was clear that was going nowhere.

Rachel was in a hurry too. She had an important appointment.

…

Rachel convinced her dads that it was imperative they go to family counseling so they could discover how unreasonable they were being. So that's just what they did. And what did they find out? That they were being unreasonable. Rachel gleefully recounted the highlights (every little detail) to Puck on the phone after the first appointment on Monday. At the session, they all told the story of the dinner fiasco that had prompted the counseling. They mostly agreed on the details, with Rachel emphasizing her boyfriend's wonderful behavior, and her dads had no choice but to admit to Rachel's accuracy.

"And then Dr. Baxter said my dads have _stage mother syndrome_! You should have seen their faces!" Rachel gushed. "I love my dads, but I kind of loved Dr. Baxter for that. He said that they are so tied up in my future success as a star, they aren't seeing my youth realistically. And they said they should feel lucky. Lucky! Because I appear to have such a caring young man at my side."

Puck felt a little rush of warmth at that. Not only hearing Rachel saying it, but the idea that some outside party had actually said it. Not that Dr. Baxter knew anything about him.

And not that Puck cared or anything.

Rachel continued, sounding a little more subdued. "I think what really got to my dads though is when Dr. Baxter said that if I had remained a sheltered little girl in Lima like they appeared to want, I could really get taken advantage of in New York. Or whatever big city I move to when I follow that star they're pushing me toward."

Puck felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "Shit, Rach," he said involuntarily.

"I know! My dad said that those words really kicked him in the stomach!"

"I know the feeling," said Puck miserably. The lead weight of everything those words meant hit him hard. First, the idea of Rachel getting taken advantage of was horrifying. Puck hadn't been paying much attention, and he and Rachel rarely went "out", but now all the flashes of the leers Rachel would get from jackasses when they were in public together were making him sick. And on top of that, her words about leaving to become a star just brought up a fear that had been making its home in some dark corner of his mind. Now that cold coil of fear had bubbled to the surface.

Puck probably interrupted something Rachel was saying, but he didn't know. His panic forced the words out of his mouth. "You're going to leave me."

"…What?" Rachel stopped talking mid-sentence to ask him what in the world he was talking about—certainly his words had no relation to what she had been saying.

"You're going to leave me," he repeated the words, testing their sound, their feel. They sounded…true.

"I heard what you said; I just don't know why you said it. Of course I'm not leaving you! What possessed you to say that?" Rachel was concerned, confused, and a little defensive. His tone wasn't accusing at all. He spoke like he was stating a fact. Like he _knew_.

"I don't mean now. I just mean one day. Like next year, I guess. If not sooner. You know, for New York or wherever." He spoke flatly. Part of him thought it was funny that he'd never said it out loud before now. Funny because it was so obvious. And he had been ignoring the elephant in the room like an idiot.

"If you hear anything that I've said to you on this phone, hear this. I love you, Noah Puckerman. I'm not going anywhere without you."

"Rach, be serious. It's not like I'm going to be able to afford to go to school in New York."

"I have several things to say in response to that, so listen well," she said sternly. "First, why do you think I've been making you study for the SATs with me? I'll tell you. It's to help you qualify for any school you want and have a chance at scholarships that span academics, sports, and the arts. Second, there are lots of financial aid programs outside of merit-based scholarships that make going to school anywhere in the country more affordable. Third, who said I have to go to college in New York? I can go to a college here in Ohio for fine arts, and _then_ move East or anywhere."

"You've really thought this out, haven't you?" Puck started to feel the knot in his stomach release. As long as he could be with her, he wouldn't worry _as much_ about her getting _taken advantage of_ in New York either.

"Of course I've thought about all of the viable scenarios," said Rachel matter-of-factly. "It's me."

"I'm sorry, I should have realized," Puck apologized with a smile into the phone.

"Yes, you should have," said Rachel seriously. "Don't scare me like that again!"

"My humble apologies. If only there was some way I could make it up to you… Think it's too soon after the dinner from hell to sneak into your room?"

…

Finn sat next to Quinn again in glee on Tuesday, but he didn't bring up Josh this time. Quinn just smiled at him sweetly and scooted her chair closer to him. For some reason, seeing her made his stomach hurt. Or maybe it was because today was Taco Tuesday and he'd gotten double lunches.

"Rehearsals are going to be intense since Regionals are at the end of the month! Two weeks from Saturday!" Kurt enthused. He was excited that he was finally going to perform "Defying Gravity". He reached out to grab Rachel, who was sure to share his enthusiasm. She just sat there limply.

"Usually you're quite energized for more rehearsals and competition. What's up with you?" Kurt asked, a little offended at the brush-off.

"Is this about seeing Jesse again?" Tina asked from the row behind her.

Rachel shook her head no, but Puck looked back at Tina and barked sharply. "Who the hell is Jesse?"

Rachel turned toward him, "You don't remember? We had a thing?"

Puck was dumbfounded.

Rachel shrugged. "I'm not surprised. You had a lot to deal with at the time. Quinn. The baby."

"So, a little help then?"

Tina answered. "Jesse was the lead male vocalist for Vocal Adrenaline. Last year, he and Rachel started dating and the glee club staged an intervention to force Rachel to stop dating him. You were part of that, you know?" Tina eyed him. He really didn't remember?

"Well, Jesse was like the male version of Rachel. They would have been too competitive to have lasted much longer as a couple," Artie reasoned aloud. "Still, I apologize, Rachel, on behalf of everyone involved, for breaking you two up."

"We were convinced he was a spy." Kurt interjected to defend their actions. "Turns out that it was the director, Shelby or whatever, who was the real threat." He figured Puck deserved to have his memory jogged, and their new members (the sophomores and Alex) deserved to know a little background.

Rachel stiffened at the mention of the director, but Puck didn't notice. He was too busy worrying about this Jesse guy. This was his second reminder that other guys, besides Finn, noticed Rachel. And it made his stomach churn fiercely. He took it for granted that Rachel's status at McKinley was pretty low, and so was his somewhat compared to how he'd started out in high school. But even so, he was too much of a badass for anyone at McKinley to think about messing with his girl. Some schmuck from Carmel—that could be another story. And he'd have to put a stop to anything that dude might try. He vaguely remembered the whole thing that had happened leading up to Regionals last year. Vaguely. And he remembered at the beginning of this year Rachel had told him that she'd kissed that douchebag. Ugh. He hated thinking about how far Rachel might have gone with this _Jesse_. Or _Finn_. He felt like he was gonna hurl.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by Mercedes saying, "Yeah, wasn't it weird to find out Mr. Schue was all up on that chick when she looked so much like Rachel!?"

That's when Puck noticed. It dawned on him. This wasn't about some stupid singing dude. (Thank God.) This was about Rachel's family…her mother. They hadn't talked about it really. When Rachel talked about not knowing about her mother and wanting Puck to take advantage of his open adoption, he knew she was sad about her own situation. One day she had said something about the disappointment when you find out information about your family too late. Puck hadn't pushed her. Now he wished he would have. There was no way that the Vocal Adrenaline director was Rachel's _mom_, right?

He didn't have time to ask her now. Besides, that was a better question to ask in private. He just put his arm around her as Mr. Schue walked into the room to start rehearsal. Rachel jumped a little at his touch, but she looked up at him with a grateful smile.

…

At the earliest opportunity after glee rehearsal, Puck spoke up. "So, I uh, noticed that you seemed to react when Mercedes brought up that Shelby lady. Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Yes. And no."

"Uh, that wasn't very helpful. Or very Berry." He nudged her gently.

"I'm sorry," she smiled up at him sadly. "I'll tell you everything."

Puck nodded and put his arm around her protectively. "Let's get outta here."

…

Rachel thought about it on the drive home with Puck.

Rivals, that's all they were. That's how Shelby saw her sister, Rachel's birth mom. And that's how she saw Rachel. They were rivals.

It had started at Regionals last year. Her dads had been in the audience. They thought they recognized the director of Vocal Adrenaline from their spots in the crowd. They thought she was _her_.

Rachel had encountered Shelby before the competition, and she thought she saw a passing resemblance, but really lots of people had dark hair and dark eyes and slightly prominent noses. And sure, it was kind of incredible that they both were talented singers, but really, who sees a stranger and thinks that she's her bio-mom? But when her dads got all anxious and asked to come backstage and meet Vocal Adrenaline even though New Directions had lost, Rachel had felt a sinking feeling. It was strange that it wasn't a pleasant feeling she'd experienced when she thought she was about to meet her mother. But now she knew that her psychic tendencies proved right.

Meeting Shelby had been…disappointing.

Her dads asked her to wait when they approached Shelby and began gesturing animatedly. Rachel watched Shelby shake her head 'no' with wide eyes. Eventually, Shelby appeared to relent and her dads motioned Rachel to join them.

"Rachel, I'm not sure you'll believe this, but this is Shelby, your mother's sister. And this is our star vocalist," proudly gesturing to Rachel.

Rachel nodded and shook Shelby's hand politely. Shelby did the same. She didn't comment on Rachel's talent.

"Listen, Rachel, it is nice to meet you, but I need to clear up a few things for you. You and your dads are looking at me with these hopeful eyes, and I just need to set the record straight."

Rachel was taken aback, but she nodded.

"My sister and I are estranged. We don't talk. At all. She left for Broadway a long time ago and never looked back at her sister left in Carmel, Ohio. I guess I haven't seen her for as long as you've been alive," Shelby looked down her nose at Rachel.

"You don't happen to have any contact information for her at all, do you?" Rachel asked hesitantly.

"No," she said sharply. "But even if I did, I would honor the agreement that was made all those years ago when the arrangement was closed. My sister performed her services and she left with that money to try to make it big."

"Do you know if she did? Make it big?" Rachel was dying to know something, anything.

"I don't. I do know that at least she hasn't 'made it' using her real name, but she might have taken a stage name. Who knows? I guess if you see someone who looks like me or you on Broadway, you'll know she did."

She was so flippant about the whole thing. Rachel was shaking. Her fathers noticed.

"Thank you for your time, Shelby. It was nice to meet you, maybe we could…"

Shelby cut him off before they could extend an invitation for future contact. "I look forward to doing this next year. It's empowering to beat the competition," said Shelby before she turned to walk away, leaving Rachel and her dads speechless.

"Congratulations on winning Regionals. I wish you luck at Nationals," Rachel said to the retreating figure. She may have sounded slightly spiteful through her clenched teeth.

…

"Seriously? She just said that and walked away?" Puck was shocked. That was harsh.

Rachel nodded. "And I haven't heard anything from her since. And now I have to face her again."

"We're gonna kick their fucking asses this year!" Puck said vehemently.

"You always know just what to say," Rachel laughed. But she meant it. "You're right. I shouldn't let this get to me. I really want to completely blow them out of the water!" Her hands clenched into fists. Puck would have commented on how hot she looks when she's mad and determined, but something else was on his mind.

"So, you don't think she's like really your mom and was just making up the whole sister story?" Puck asked tentatively.

"Oh! That thought never even crossed my mind. I mean, how cold would you have to be to look your own daughter in the eyes and make up a lie like that? I guess it's possible, though. Maybe if I'm a big mistake…or a disappointment…" Rachel was starting to tear up.

"Oh shit, I shouldn't have said that. Fuck, I'm sorry, Rach." Puck thought he could be such a fuck up sometimes. He pulled Rachel into his arms and began stroking her hair.

"No, it's ok. It's a valid question. It just makes me sad to think about it. Really, I'm sad about the whole situation."

"Hey, that's why you've got me to comfort you." And for once Puck didn't mean it sexually. Well, not when he said it, he didn't.

Rachel just hugged him. She didn't care how he meant it. It sounded sincere and she needed him in all the ways he would give himself to her.

And that's what she told him. "I need you now, Noah."

And as he kissed away her tears, she was glad they had some time before her dads would get home from work.

…

Finn was finishing up his homework and listening to music Tuesday night, but he couldn't really concentrate. Yeah, Finn thought it might be better if Quinn hadn't explained the open relationship to him. He couldn't stop thinking about what he had overheard Quinn saying to Rachel at the Valentine's Dance. Josh wanted Quinn to have sex. Which was so unfair because if there was anyone Quinn should have sex with now, it should be Finn. So yeah, he was jealous because it should have been him _last year_. And it should be him _this year_, not some crusty old dude. Ok, maybe _crusty_ was a little too far, but still.

His chest _hurt_ to think about Quinn getting pressured to have sex with that guy. (Even though she denied it.) She should be with him, in a nice, safe high school relationship. Maybe they weren't in love with each other, but they had been through a lot together. Josh hardly knows her! And they're only in high school, so it's not like they need to be thinking about marriage or anything crazy. Besides, maybe they could be in love again if he could just have a chance.

It was in the middle of these thoughts that the next song he heard really did a number on him... Mr. Brightside.

_I'm coming out of my cage  
And I've been doing just fine  
Gotta gotta be down  
Because I want it all  
It started out with a kiss  
How did it end up like this?  
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss  
Now I'm falling asleep  
And she's calling a cab  
While he's having a smoke  
And she's taking a drag  
Now they're going to bed  
And my stomach is sick  
And it's all in my head  
But she's touching his chest  
Now, he takes off her dress  
Now, let me go_

_I just can't look its killing me  
And taking control  
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea  
Swimming through sick lullabies  
Choking on your alibis  
But it's just the price I pay  
Destiny is calling me  
Open up my eager eyes  
'Cause I'm Mr. Brightside…_

The sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach was overwhelming just hearing that song and thinking about Quinn with Josh. Finn decided he couldn't just sit around and let Quinn go back and forth between the two of them "casually". He had to tilt the odds in his favor. And he had an idea of what he could do. He called Josh. He still had his number from when he'd played with the band.

Josh answered, "Hello?"

"Hello, Josh?"

Josh didn't recognize the voice answering back. "Yeah. Who's this?"

"It's me, Finn. The stand-in drummer." Then Finn slapped his hand to his forehead. He could've kept it anonymous.

Josh grinned as he heard the smack through the phone. "What do you want, drummer-boy?"

"I want you to back off with Quinn." Finn was pleased by his toughness.

"What the hell? What business is it of yours?"

"She's not right for you. Do you know anything about her, really? You know, like how old…is her daughter?" Finn decided not to come out and say what he really wanted to say. Let Josh figure things out.

"Well, I know she was sixteen when she was born, so she's probably about five," Josh said defensively. Though Josh remembered Puckerman saying specifically that his daughter _wasn't_ five. He was getting confused and didn't know why he even bothered to answer this prick's question.

He heard Finn laugh harshly. "You need to do some homework."

"What do you mean?"

"You're the college boy. Figure it out." Finn hung up. He replayed the conversation in his head. He was pretty awesome. Except for the part when he told Josh his name.

What the hell was that about, wondered Josh. Well, the first thing Josh thought to do was Google Quinn Fabray and see what came up.

And shit, did something come up.

…

The rest of the week was a haze of glee rehearsals, basketball for Puck, counseling for the Berry's, and "wholesome" activities for Puck and Rachel in front of her dads per the counselor's orders. Weird.

Ever since their private moment after Rachel's revelation, Puck had been at Rachel's house after glee or basketball practice every day that week so they could finish the stupid season 1 dvd of Rachel and Kurt's favorite show. And by "they", he meant that in addition to Rachel, Kurt and Alex AND Mercedes and Eric joined them. It was some group bonding time or some shit. Rachel had explained her dual purposes for appeasing her dads with some harmless group activities to build their trust, along with building friendships between their new "couple friends", but Puck zoned out when Rachel talked about the reasoning. (Or he had tried to.)

…

Quinn was surprised to get a call from Josh in the middle of the school day on Thursday. She had told him (lies) about her schedule in the past, so he wouldn't call her at school. She happened to have her phone on during lunch. She hoped he might be calling about date plans, so she decided to answer. She left the cafeteria and walked into the hall where it would be a bit quieter.

"Josh?"

"Hey, you busy? I think we need to meet."

"Meet? Well, I am busy now. Until about six." (Glee after school, then about thirty minutes to drive to his side of Lima in traffic, right about six o'clock.)

"Yeah, I thought you'd be busy. You can come by after dinner instead, say eight?"

"Yes, sure. What should I wear?"

"Huh?" Josh had no idea where that came from. Then he realized she probably thought he called to hook up or something. "Just casual. It's not a date."

"Oh, well, what's this about?"

"I'll tell you when I see you." He hung up the phone.

Well, that didn't sound like a romantic invitation to Quinn. He might be mad that she missed his show last week for her mysterious engagement (which happened to be a high school dance) instead of spending time with him on Saturday.

When Quinn saw Puck step outside the cafeteria, she started to say 'hi', but he put his finger to his lips to silence her. He finished his conversation and closed his phone.

"Something's up. I think Josh knows," said Puck.

"Knows what?" asked Quinn.

"You know! Our ages."

Quinn scoffed. "What makes you think that?"

"He called you too, right? He wants to meet you tonight?"

She nodded.

"This is what they call a confrontation," said Puck knowingly.

"That doesn't explain anything. Why do you think he knows just because he wants to meet us both tonight?"

"He said he's been doing some _research_ and we have some things to discuss."

"That could be band stuff," said Quinn. But she sounded uncertain.

"Ri-ight. Well, I'll see you later. Tonight should be crap-tastic."

"Wait! What do you think he'll do?!" Quinn called.

Puck just shrugged as he walked away. He knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. But he couldn't help thinking that if Quinn hadn't been involved, Josh probably never would have done the _research_.

Puck was right.

…

Puck and Rachel finished the dvd marathon with their "couple friends" over pizza, and Rachel actually got permission from her dads to go with Puck to his band practice as long as she was home by eleven. The Berry men were scared out of their minds but mostly resigned to their situation.

"See the progress?!" Rachel exclaimed to Puck on their way out of her house.

…

Josh opened the door and motioned for the three of them to take a seat on the couch. Puck usually brought Rachel along, and Josh had invited Quinn, but he was almost surprised that he didn't see Finn with them. They _were_ the fantastic foursome now, weren't they?

Puck nodded in greeting to Trey and Eddie, who were at their usual practice spots. Josh began pacing in front of the couch. "So, you may have guessed why I called you here tonight. But let me summarize the evidence. It's basically irrefutable."

Puck rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Quinn looked at Josh with wide eyes. Josh almost stopped his summation; she looked so worried—and hot. But he shook it off and continued.

"Exhibit A. Archived entries from a blog of one Jacob Ben-Israel, dated, with photographic evidence of all of you. Most prominently this one. At a dance. In December. A high school dance."

The three in question sat in silence. It was the horrible picture of Finn and Puck basically fighting over Rachel with Quinn in the background. The picture was like a slap in the face to all of them as they recalled that night.

"Exhibit B. A printout of the email conversation with Mr. Ben-Israel confirming that the blog had not been tampered with in any way and the dates are accurate."

"When'd you go all Veronica Mars, dude?" Puck interrupted.

Quinn raised an amused eyebrow at Puck. Rachel clapped her hands together and bounced a little on the couch, thrilled at his comment.

"Dude, what the hell are you talking about? Are you calling me a girl?" asked Josh, confused.

Puck actually felt his ears burn with embarrassment. He just made a reference to Rachel's favorite show. In front of the guys. "No, forget it. Just continue describing how you uncovered the mystery of our youth or whatever."

"Ha! So you admit it!"

Puck shrugged casually, "Yeah." Quinn nodded, blinking.

Josh shrugged back at them, "Well, that takes the fun out of the interrogation I had planned."

"So, am I still in the band?" Puck asked, getting to the point as far as he was concerned.

Trey and Eddie nodded and rolled their eyes as they waited for Josh.

"I suppose," Josh said reluctantly as he looked back at Trey and Eddie. "But if you ever get carded and get us kicked out of a gig, you're out," he threatened.

"Thanks, captain." Puck saluted. He got up from the couch to plug in his guitar for practice.

"What about Quinn?" Rachel asked, shoving Quinn a little so she'd be standing in front of Josh. Quinn shot Rachel a dirty look. It came naturally. And Rachel looked back at her with a hurt expression. Just like old times. Quinn looked apologetic before she turned back to face Josh.

"Maybe we should talk about this in private?" Quinn suggested hopefully.

Josh nodded. "Band practice is canceled."

…

"You know, I blame you for this," Puck told Rachel on the drive home.

"Me? I had nothing to do with you lying about your age! Or Josh canceling the practice!"

"No, not that! I never would have known about Veronica Mars to say anything in front of the band if you hadn't made me sit through it with you. And Kurt. And Alex. And Mercedes. And Eric."

Rachel giggled.

"It's not funny!" Puck flashed back to the super-awkward moments with Kurt and Alex cuddling on the couch. _Cuddling_. And Mercedes with her tiny freshman beside her on the floor. The sight of the cute blond on the tv was much better than getting freaked out by the sight of the other two bizarro couples who joined them. Plus Rachel wouldn't make out with him in front of everyone and with the threat of her dads around the corner. So yeah, he actually watched the damn show.

"You know you liked it," teased Rachel. "Especially the finale!"

"Yeah, that did pretty much kick ass," he admitted.

…

Meanwhile, Josh led Quinn inside, leaving Trey and Eddie in the garage to practice on their own or go home. Josh didn't give a shit. He actually hadn't figured out what he was going to do, but he had figured that at least the band should be present to make a decision when he revealed Puckerman's age.

Once they were inside, Josh plopped down on the couch and motioned for Quinn to sit. When he didn't say anything, Quinn began. "I'm sorry I misled you, Josh. I just went along with Puck's story because he didn't want to be kicked out of the band. I hope this doesn't change how you feel about me."

"Well, I'm kind of shocked about the whole thing. So this means you're what, a junior in high school?"

Quinn nodded.

"And your daughter is like, still a baby?"

"Yes, well, she's almost one," Quinn said fondly.

"It's kind of blowing my mind. So all that stuff we talked about last weekend, about how things were between you and Puckerman. I thought that was like years ago, but really it was more like months ago?"

Quinn nodded reluctantly. "Almost a year though. I moved back in with my parents at the end of the summer."

"Shit, Quinn. What are we gonna do?" Josh ran a hand through his straight blond hair. Quinn watched as it fell back into place. She realized she didn't know what he was talking about.

"What do you mean? If you want to still date me, I still want to date you. What else do we need to figure out?"

"Yeah, that's right. You've always known how old I am so this isn't so weird for you."

"No, it's really not. Three years isn't so far apart, is it?" she asked him, leaning closer.

Shit, she had to know she was pretty much irresistible, right? "Well," said Josh slowly, "I have to admit that after I stumbled upon the blog, I did some more research…"

Quinn looked at him expectantly.

"The age of consent in Ohio is 16."

Quinn sighed and leaned away from him. "So that's what this is about?"

"Whoa. Hold up. I'm just saying I did the research because when I found out, I was still interested and wanted to make sure you weren't jailbait, you know? What I said last weekend, _before_ I knew your age still stands. About taking it slow."

Quinn softened. "Oh. Good."

"Do you wanna stay and watch a movie? I mean really watch a movie?"

"Yes, that sounds nice."

About 20 minutes into the movie, Quinn initiated a make out session. They were sitting upright next to each other on the couch when she snuggled closer and leaned in to nibble on his earlobe as she let her hand wander. She felt him freeze and then relax.

"This might take some getting used to again," he whispered to her.

"Let me help you with that," she said seductively.

It was nice to know that he was willing to just watch a movie with her, but she couldn't help herself. And it was nice to know that he was willing to indulge her in that too.

…

At glee on Friday, Finn sat next to Quinn again. He whispered to her, "Do you wanna go out on Saturday after Regionals?"

"Sure, Finn. That would be lovely."

"Have you talked to Josh lately?" Finn asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Quinn narrowed her eyes at him. She could see something in his face…poorly concealed satisfaction. "I should have known he didn't just start checking up on me for no reason!"

Finn couldn't prevent the smile from creeping onto his face. "So, did he break up with you?"

"Of course not!" answered Quinn indignantly. "We're two mature people and we've decided that age does not matter."

"Except legally!" Finn protested.

Quinn just huffed and folded her arms over her chest as Mr. Schue walked into the room.

Before Will could get rehearsal underway, he saw Puck step to the front of the room.

"So, I have an idea for a song that could be like our theme. We don't have to perform it, but I thought we could have a listen. It's _The Underdog_ from Spoon. It's like our F U to Vocal Adrenaline."

Will gave Puck a disapproving look, but didn't bother to do much since at least he didn't use the actual f-word. Besides, the idea of psyching the kids up seemed like a winner. "Ok, watch the language, Puck. But thanks, let's hear it!"

_Picture yourself in the living room,  
Your pipe and slippers set out for you  
I know you think that it ain't too far_

_But I_

_I hear the call of a lifetime ring  
Felt the need to get up for it  
Oh you cut out the middleman  
Get free from the middleman_

_You got no time for the messenger,  
Got no regard for the thing that you don't understand,  
__**You got no fear of the underdog,  
That's why you will not survive!  
**__  
I want to forget how conviction fits  
But can I get out from under it?  
Can I gut it out of me? Oh-ho!_

_  
It can't all be wedding cake  
It can't all be boiled away  
I try but I can't let go of it  
Can't let go of it, uh-huh_

'_Cause you don't talk to the water boy  
And there's so much you could learn but you don't want to know  
You will not back up an inch ever,  
That's why you will not survive!_

_The thing that I tell you now  
It may not go over well  
And it may not be photo-op  
In the way that I spell it out_

_But you won't hear from the messenger,  
Don't wanna know 'bout something that you don't understand  
__**You got no fear of the underdog,  
That's why you will not survive! Right! **_

_**(Hey!)**_

All the kids seemed to like it and so did Will. Giving Vocal Adrenaline a little snub sounded like fun. Especially after last year. "Maybe we'll see if we could learn this in time, but if it becomes too much, we'll drop it. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"That was an excellent song choice, Noah," said Rachel crisply. She was pleased that Noah seemed to do this for her, but she was also very focused. "_The Underdog_ was very stirring. I too think that we should be pumped up for Regionals."

Almost everyone knew what this meant. Rachel Berry was back. And their fears were realized. She was a total terror. In her own special way.

Rachel began passing out laminated lists to the group. "I have made lists of several dietary suggestions for the whole group to follow. I didn't do individualized plans like Dakota Stanley, but I think those of us who experienced his tactics agree that they don't work."

"And this is your way of being different from that little twerp?" asked Mercedes skeptically.

"Yes," Rachel answered simply. "You'll notice that the lists contain food and beverage items I recommend avoiding during these days leading up to the event. You'll also see items I recommend for you to increase in your diets. I've suggested some great vitamins and supplements as well. You will also find vocal and breathing exercises to do in your spare time, provided that you don't exceed the limit of vocalizing per day, as noted. We don't want anyone straining vocal cords or losing voices. Finally, you'll see that there is a recommended amount of physical activity to increase stamina during our dance routines, so if we don't get enough activity in glee or extracurriculars like our athletic teammates here, we should be exercising on our own."

She heard a few groans. "You're right; we should have started this much earlier. But, if we begin now and we do win Regionals, we will have a month to continue our healthy regimens before competition at Nationals!"

"Well, Rachel, thank you. That was very…thorough," said Will in the characteristic way he tended to address Rachel.

…

And after a week of strict rehearsals and constant reminders of Rachel's "suggestions", they were all in the school parking lot at 7am on Saturday. On the road to Regionals.

…

**A.N.** The Veronica Mars bit was inspired by a conversation with **Maiqu** reminding me of my VM love. But this actually happened to my boyfriend a few years ago. He made a Veronica Mars reference at his work without even thinking. He was so embarrassed because nobody (all males) had any idea who Veronica Mars was. (I wasn't present, but I made Rachel witness to Puck's reference.) Had to share!

I wasn't going to address the whole Idina casting issue directly because it seemed like a big thing that would've happened in Rachel's sophomore year which hadn't been mentioned in my story. But comments by **Maiqu** and **Power2corrupt **encouraged me to try to do something. I hope you like what I came up with! In an early chapter I had already mentioned Rachel kissing the then-nameless male lead of Vocal Adrenaline, so that was going to be the focus until I got inspired by Idina/Shelby.

And thanks **Power2corrupt** for awesome reviews! I wish they were signed so I could write you back!

**Next up:** How does Rachel deal with encounters with Jesse and Shelby? How does Puck deal with Rachel now that she's on the warpath? I'll give you a hint—badly. But it's gonna be fun!

Junior Year is wrapping up soon. Regionals will be the end of February. Then we just have March and April and The End! My plan is that the end will be posted before new episodes of Glee return (and my story is ruined by whatever _really_ happens). I think I have plot ammunition for about 4 more chapters, so I hope you'll all stick around for the end!


	22. Worst Enemy

**A.N.** Songs in the New Directions set have already been listed in this story. Also featured are "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor and "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen.

To **fresch**, you'll see a little of what we talked about regarding gleek involvement in Puck & Rachel's 'sex life' in Puck's flashback at the beginning, and hopefully you'll get a hint of the emotional components too, though that's not full-blown in this chapter.

A big thank you to **chrpangel** who suggested "Worst Enemy" by Lit, which inspired a major part of this chapter, including the title. I was planning on doing something like this, but her song suggestion really made it what it is, despite her protests. So I hope you like it even though you asked me not to do it! I couldn't resist.

**Disclaimer.** I do not own Glee or any songs mentioned.

…

**End of February, Junior Year **

It was the morning of Regionals and Puck was in a foul mood. Not because it was 7am. He'd been getting up early for sports practices forever. It wasn't because he'd suffered endless ribbing for picking "The Underdog" after Schue had announced to the group that he thought the song was just some alternative theme but then realized the judges would recognize it from a Zac Efron movie. Puck had protested that he had just looked for songs about underdogs beating the competition.

_It was either that or "Eye of the Tiger"_, Puck had shrugged. Schue's eyes got all wide and he looked like Puck had just said the most brilliant thing in whole fucking world, followed by a look that said, 'I wish I had thought of that'. Then everybody had said how great that one would have been. _Well, then maybe someone else should've thought of it_, Puck had grumbled. Schue had placated everyone by saying if they moved on to Nationals, they could use the song there. Ok, maybe he was still a little pissed about that whole thing this week.

But what he was really pissed about was his girlfriend's ridiculous behavior. And don't think the gleeks hadn't pressed him about that. Why can't you control your woman, Puck? Rachel's wound up pretty tight, Puck, I think you need to take care of business to get her off of our backs, Puck. It was about the third day of taunting when Rachel overheard and turned red in the face as she shouted, _Noah Puckerman does not own me! I'm an independent woman! I don't care what you or my therapist say!_ And that brought on the laughter 'cause damn, she was hilarious when she was angry. And what the hell was that about the therapist? Puck knew she was in family counseling, but he didn't know the therapist had talked about Rachel and her _womanly independence_. Still, since her outburst revealed that Rachel was in therapy just like the gleeks knew she should be, they found that particularly funny.

Plus, Puck was upset that he wasn't getting any morning make-out time because Rachel was strategizing with Schue. She had 'excused herself' to give Schue a pep talk or some shit about his 'daring choice' for their final number. Rachel had been pretty intolerable lately because she was so worked up about the stupid competition. He knew that if he could've just relaxed with her and cuddled, yes _cuddled_, on the couch after school or something, she would've been more bearable. But she hardly spent any time with him over the last week and a half. She was always harping about getting herself and everyone else in shape for Regionals and brushing off his advances. Rachel had said she was still trying to keep some balance about her dads and had said something about the therapist, but Puck had stopped paying attention to most of the stuff she said that week.

Not that he didn't know that Rachel was freaking out because of that evil bitch Shelby. He knew. He even tried to get Rachel to talk about it. Seriously. He suggested talking. Maybe that suggestion for talking had been embedded in an innuendo, but still, she should know by now how he expresses himself. And, yeah, if he could've gotten at least a handjob out of it, maybe he wouldn't be so pissed now. When he brought up their lack of physical contact, Rachel had acted reluctant to fulfill his tiny request and had suggested that the sexual tension might work to their advantage in their performance at Regionals. She hadn't turned him down exactly, but he wasn't going to _force_ her to jerk him off. She should have been more than willing! He could take care of his business himself if he had to—it just would have been nice if she would have done it out of the kindness of her heart. (And he was a stud, damn it, he shouldn't have to beg.) Puck had a feeling that when he could finally release his tension, he'd be taking out some frustrations on her. Spanking might have to be involved.

So he sat alone while everyone else sat in pairs. Finn was hulking over Quinn in their shared seat. Puck had watched as Quinn seemed to lay into Finn about something. Probably about what went down with Josh. Puck figured that Finn had tipped off Josh about the age thing. Now Finn looked like he was pleading with her about something. Quinn was mostly looking out the window, but she'd occasionally glance at Finn and nod, so Finn might be making progress. Puck decided he didn't really care about Finn and Quinn. He closed his eyes and tried to get comfortable in the stupid bus seat.

…

Finn knew he had to talk to Quinn and the long bus ride to Regionals was his best chance. So he sat next to her.

"Finn, why would you even sit here next to me after what you did?" Quinn huffed.

"You've been giving me the silent treatment. I wanted to talk to you."

"Well, unless it's an apology, I don't want to talk to you."

"I'm sorry."

_What?_ "You're apologizing?"

"Yeah," Finn said. Quinn wasn't sure how one syllable could sound like it had been spoken so earnestly.

But she still wasn't won over. "You know what you did just proves that you're immature and selfish. I'm not sure that we should go back to dating now that I've met someone with more maturity."

"Well, I may be immature compared to your senior citizen boyfriend, but I wasn't being selfish!" protested Finn.

Quinn rolled her eyes at his jab about age. She focused on the important point. "Really? Isn't trying to make Josh break up with me something that would benefit you, not me? That's selfish. By definition." She glared at him before staring out the window.

Finn put his hand on her shoulder, willing her to look at him. "Actually, I thought it would help you. I was doing it to _help you_. I'm worried about you with him, Quinn." Quinn faced him and searched his eyes. "I mean, I'm sorry, but I overheard what you said to Rachel at the dance. You told her that Josh wanted you to have sex. You denied it when I asked you, but I already knew the truth. And I figured you weren't going to tell me those details. So all that I did was call Josh and tell him that he doesn't know you like I do, and maybe he should figure out what he doesn't know or back off."

"Finn, I appreciate your concern. It's sweet…in a really misguided way. …I just don't know if we're going to work out."

"I care about you, Quinn," Finn pleaded. "I just don't want to see you get hurt. This guy already has a bad history. I mean, when you slapped him that day I played with the band…I really wanted to kick his ass. But then you just forgave him, like that! And now you're forgiving him for pressuring you to have sex. He's just going to keep pushing and pushing."

Quinn bit her lip. Could Finn be right? Could Finn really care more about her as a person or as a friend than Josh does? "Thank you for caring, Finn. You're right. Even if you didn't say it, you're making me realize that if I've forgiven Josh for what he has done, then I should forgive you too."

"Thanks, Quinn," Finn breathed with relief. "I really think we could be something, you know?"

Quinn nodded and smiled. That's what she had always thought too. "But I'm still going to keep seeing Josh," she reminded.

"I figured," said Finn casually. "But we'll still hang out after Regionals, right?"

"I bet there will be a party, so yes, Finn, we can hang out after Regionals."

"Cool."

…

**Regionals, Junior Year **

Rachel felt like they had completed a rousing and exhilarating performance with their set list of: "The Underdog," "Defying Gravity," "Times Like These," "I Want You To," "Baby I Love You," "Love You Madly," and "Maybe I'm Amazed." Mr. Schue had been nervous about ending with a song that didn't have flashy choreography, but Rachel felt proud for helping to convince him it was the right choice to show the contrast between their vocal-driven style and Vocal Adrenaline's choreography-driven style. Besides, most of their other songs were very strong with choreography, with "Love You Madly" leaving the judges happy and amused, and "Maybe I'm Amazed" being a subtle suggestion that the judges should be amazed by New Directions.

Everyone seemed to be on a performance high. They made it to their seats in the audience to watch the performance of their rivals, Vocal Adrenaline, just as the emcee announced them with flair.

The familiar beat of "Eye of the Tiger" began, along with a riveting light show as the curtain rose. Bum, ba-ba-bum…

Puck slapped his hand to his forehead and slowly dragged it down over his face. Everyone turned to look at him as they recognized the song. This sucked. Rachel squeezed his hand and looked up at him with a pained smile. She was probably trying to look reassuring but she just looked sick.

_Risin' up, back on the street  
Did my time, took my chances  
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet  
Just a man and his will to survive_

So many times, it happens too fast  
You change your passion for glory  
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past  
You must fight just to keep them alive

Chorus:_  
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the fight  
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival  
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night  
And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger_

Face to face, out in the heat  
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry  
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street  
For we kill with the skill to survive

Chorus __

Risin' up, straight to the top  
Have the guts, got the glory  
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop  
Just a man and his will to survive

Chorus __

The eye of the tiger (repeats)...

Of course, Vocal Adrenaline was amazing in their performance of "Eye of the Tiger". With their singing and their dancing and their signature gymnastics. Although this time New Directions couldn't scoff too much at the use of gymnastics as a distraction technique since they had totally employed their Cheerio members on that front, along with some dancing by Mike and Matt. But yeah, Puck couldn't take any more of the Vocal Adrenaline performance, so he slouched in his seat and closed his eyes. He knew Rachel would give him a very detailed analysis of the performance anyway. God, that could last for days.

Maybe Puck drifted off or at least was in a bit of a daze. But he peeled his eyes open when he heard them singing _Queen! Fucking Bohemian Rhapsody!_ And of course, they were awesome. Then it hit him that he needed to try to remember which dude was Jesse instead of sitting there with his eyes closed.

He figured it out. He watched Rachel watch them. He caught her eyes following one performer, and it became obvious during the final solo of the song which one was Jesse.

His first thought upon seeing the guy was "that dude looks gay". His second thought was, "that dude looks kinda like Schue". His third thought was, "there's no way Berry would go for that shit over this" as he flexed his guns to prove the point to himself.

Thankfully, Rachel wasn't biting her lip or looking all lusty. She just looked happy? Proud? She didn't look jealous or upset at Vocal Adrenaline's performance like he thought she would be. Weird. It's like she liked Jesse and wanted him to do well, but she wanted to take down Vocal Adrenaline as a group and rub it in that Shelby bitch's face. _Weird_. But he should expect nothing less from crazyass over there. Puck gave up the sulking and just grabbed Rachel's hand. She flashed him a smile before turning her attention back to the stage.

…

The students roamed around during the wait for the judges' decision. Rachel had started in on her analysis of the performances to anyone who would listen, and gradually the other gleeks who had been part of the pack had gone their separate ways, leaving Puck and Rachel alone to wander.

Of course, Rachel spotted Jesse at the juice bar. The _juice bar_. Rachel grabbed Puck's hand and dragged him along for the ride.

"That's Jesse," she whispered loudly. "We're going to say hello."

"We are, are we?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes," she said firmly, setting her jaw like she always does when she tries to order someone (him) around. Before Puck could do much to protest, like throwing her over his shoulder to prove that she couldn't _make him_ do _anything_, Jesse popped into his field of view.

"Rachel!" Jesse exclaimed. "I thought that was you."

"Hello, Jesse!" Rachel exclaimed with equal enthusiasm. "I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Noah Puckerman."

"Oh, that's not the one I'd expected you'd be introducing as your boyfriend," stated Jesse bluntly. Then he shook his head as if to erase his error from the Etch-a-Sketch transcript in his mind. "I'm sorry. I'm still a little buzzed from the performance, I suppose. I mean to say, it's good to meet you, Noah."

"Uh…Thanks. Same here," said Puck as he shook the outstretched hand. "And people call me Puck," he said gruffly.

"Ok?" Jesse looked at him quizzically and gave Rachel an equally questioning look.

"Well, we had better get back to our places for the announcement of the awards!" chirped Rachel as she tried to overcome the tension. "Best of luck to you, Jesse!"

"Same to you, Rach!" Jesse called.

As they walked back into the auditorium, Rachel asked, "That wasn't so bad, right?"

She got a grunt in response.

…

"Third place goes to the Center Grove High School Spotlighters!" announced the emcee. All of the expected hoopla followed. New Directions members were hoping for a miracle.

"And for the first time in the history of the Central Midwest Regional Show Choir Competition, we have a tie for first place!" Then the emcee paused for dramatic effect. "Between Carmel High School's Vocal Adrenaline and William McKinley's New Directions!"

All members from both choirs rushed to the stage to claim their prizes. Perhaps New Directions members were more genuinely pleased than Vocal Adrenaline members at the tie.

Will was ecstatic, and he lifted Emma in spinning hug. He caught a glimpse of Shelby looking at him through narrowed eyes. But he ignored that and focused on Emma. Oh, and the kids. "Congratulations, guys! We did it!" New Directions cheered in response. Rachel leaped into Puck's arms and he gave her a spin that way out-did Schue's wimpy attempt. She laughed and actually leaned in for the kiss.

When they broke apart, Rachel was dizzy. Maybe for more reasons than one. "Oh, I think you have to put me down. My head is spinning!"

So Puck set her down gently but was ready for more of the victory kissing.

"I have to do one thing," she whispered to him. Then she glanced over at Shelby who was glaring at Mr. Schue.

"I'll go with you," Puck said.

"No, I need to do this alone, I think." And without another word, she headed resolutely toward her target.

…

"So, it's been a year since we first met," said Rachel, not wasting time with pleasantries.

Shelby looked a bit taken aback, but then seemed to gather herself. "Yes, that's right."

"You haven't had any breakthroughs in that estrangement from my mother have you? Any news? Or have you had any change of heart about getting to know your biological relative, by chance?"

Shelby's jaw dropped briefly before she snapped her mouth shut. "I'm sorry, but the answer is still 'no'. I don't mean to be rude, but my situation with my sister is not something I will discuss. Even if you are her daughter." Shelby paused and Rachel thought she saw the shimmer of a tear in her eye. But the look of sadness the flashed over Shelby's dark features was quickly replaced by a look of determination. "You're not supposed to have any contact with her or her family anyway, and it was only by sheer coincidence that you and I happened upon each other. I think it is best if we keep things strictly professional."

Rachel thought she might recognize that look of determination. She gave a nod to acknowledge the return to professionalism. "Congratulations on your team's success," said Rachel as politely as possible.

"I should say the same to you," Shelby replied.

_Yes, you should_, Rachel thought as she looked at her pointedly, waiting for the actual words. When all that happened was a stare down, Rachel gave up.

"I guess I will see you at Nationals."

"Yes, you will."

Rachel spun on her heel so she didn't have to watch her biological aunt walk away from her again.

_Where was Noah_? she wondered. Then she spotted him. Talking to Jesse? Rachel walked up to them from the side so she could try to hear what they were saying before she made her presence known. Sneaky? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.

"So, when you said I wasn't the one you were expecting, what'd you mean?" Puck asked with his eyes narrowed.

Jesse didn't know why he was bothering to talk to Rachel's new boyfriend, but he did try to conduct himself professionally in all situations. He spoke carefully, "Last year, there seemed to be another member of your choir that she expressed an interest in dating."

"Oh, yeah. You mean Finn," Puck pointed him out to Jesse.

Jesse looked like he was considering his answer. "Yes, I believe he is the one. I hope you don't take offense. It sounds as though you already know about the situation."

"Yeah, I was just making sure. So how long did you date Rachel?"

And that's when Rachel decided to make her entrance. "There you are, Noah," she smiled. "Hello, Jesse. Congratulations on your win. I really enjoyed your performance."

"Congrats to you too, Rachel. You were fantastic as always," beamed Jesse. Puck rolled his eyes.

"So it was nice talkin' to you. I guess we'll see you at Nationals," Puck interrupted the love fest, pulling Rachel towards him.

"Yes, it was nice meeting you as well. And good to see you again, Rachel."

"Good to see you, Jesse. I look forward to seeing you at Nationals," Rachel smiled.

Jesse watched Puck wrap his arm around Rachel's waist as they walked away. He thought he handled the situation quite well—with politeness and professionalism. But he hoped they killed New Directions at Nationals.

…

"So what's the story with that guy, Berry?" Puck demanded.

"I told you, we had a thing last year. He's the only other boy I've kissed besides Finn. Tina told you about the ultimatum. Not much more to tell," she said nonchalantly.

"Did you like him?"

"Of course I did! Do you think I would kiss somebody I didn't even like?!"

Well, Puck would (before), but yeah, Rachel probably wouldn't. "No."

"Besides, you really have nothing to worry about," she smiled slyly. "You're the best kisser of them all."

"No doubt," Puck affirmed as he leaned down to kiss her.

He heard a woman clearing her throat anxiously behind him, so Puck didn't make it to Rachel's lips before she had jumped away from him in surprise.

"Excuse me," said Miss Pillsbury sounding offended. "That's highly inappropriate behavior. Please control yourselves for the bus ride home."

Puck rolled his eyes and leaned back in to spite her. But Rachel put her hand up to his chest to stop him and glanced from him to Miss Pillsbury with wide, worried eyes. "Of course, we hope you'll accept our sincerest apologies. This will not happen again."

"Thank you, Rachel," Miss Pillsbury said primly, her relief obvious. "Please follow me to the bus."

Rachel wouldn't even hold his hand on the way to the bus. There was probably no way he'd get her to make out on the bus now. Fucking OCD counselor.

Puck was right about the lack of PDA with Rachel on the bus. But he was relieved to hear that Brittany was having a victory party and that Rachel thought she'd be able to convince her dads to let her go.

…

Rachel's dads seemed to assume that the victory party was sponsored by Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury, and Rachel didn't correct them. She said goodbye to them in the school parking lot and hopped into Puck's truck.

Even though Rachel let Puck run his hand along her thigh during the drive, she was still going on and on about Regionals, and now Nationals. She was so excited that they could stay on her suggested regimen for another month in preparation for the final competition. It made him wish they had lost to fucking Vocal Adrenaline again. Because this shit was getting tiresome. But surely she couldn't keep holding out on sex. 'Cause once you go Puck, you should always wanna fuck.

"Ready to party, babe? Or do you just wanna stay out here in the truck?" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Rachel smiled widely. "While staying with you in the truck sounds inviting, it is a bit cold out here. And I think we should go into the party to celebrate with our peers before retiring to an empty room to reward ourselves on our victory."

"Sweet!" Puck was feeling a little better. "That's more like it, Berry! I thought you had gone all crazy on me for good! And not in your good way."

She looked up at him with hurt in her eyes, but that was wiped away as she slapped his chest playfully. "Let's go," she smiled. "But don't forget the rules! You're driving tonight. And alcohol, besides being illegal for us as minors, is a big no-no on my list for keeping us in top form for competition."

Puck decided to let that one slide. He was finally gonna get some tonight! Thank fuck! But despite Rachel's warning about alcohol, Puck knew that he wanted a drink. He deserved it after the last two weeks from hell! There had already been a secret arrangement to keep everyone's drinking hidden from Rachel. They had all figured it would work for awhile. And Rachel played right into it by squeezing Puck's hand before letting go to talk to Kurt, Alex, and Mercedes who were waiting to fill their roles to keep Rachel out of the kitchen. And the kitchen is where Puck was headed.

…

Rachel hated to break away from Noah, but she remembered the therapist's words to her at an impromptu one-on-one session last week. Dr. Baxter had asked her to talk about her relationship without the presence of her fathers so that she could speak openly. And she had spoken openly for the most part about things they had gone through and the status of their relationship. Dr. Baxter had sat back, taking notes, letting Rachel talk on and on. When she felt she had completed a sufficient description, she had stopped and heard Dr. Baxter take a deep breath.

"Rachel, do you know the term, 'co-dependence'?" he had asked her.

"Of course I do!" she had huffed. "And I find it offensive that you are bringing it up after I have described my wonderful and happy relationship with my boyfriend."

"I don't mean to offend you, but I want to caution you. You both seem to have your emotions very tied up in each other—at levels I fear may be unhealthy. You also seem to place extreme significance on your sexual relationship," he paused as Rachel blushed furiously and appeared to blink back tears. "Feel free to take a tissue, Rachel. I think it would be healthy for you to try to develop and cultivate separate interests, spend some time apart on occasion, and don't sexualize every opportunity to be together. I think you will find that you can have a much more fulfilling and legitimate relationship with your boyfriend, as well as with your fathers, if you take this mature approach."

Rachel nodded silently.

"Would you like me to give you some strategies for beginning to adjust to more independence instead of co-dependence?"

Rachel sighed and nodded. What happened to the Dr. Baxter who was on her side? And maybe she didn't hear all of Dr. Baxter's tips because she was reeling from his "diagnosis" of her relationship. But she made a decision to not be so dependent on Noah for her own happiness. And she knew what activity on which to focus her attention: beating Vocal Adrenaline. She was also going to try to prevent every opportunity from becoming sexual. She was really, really going to try. She kind of hated Dr. Baxter. And she hadn't even gotten started on telling him about her issues with Shelby.

Rachel had told Noah all about this and how they should try to change a little, but it was as if he didn't listen to her because he kept bringing up sex, constantly. But she thought tonight at their victory party might be a good time to indulge. It's not as if Dr. Baxter had said to give up sexual activity. Just to cut back on dependence on it for the validation of the relationship.

So Rachel talked animatedly to Kurt, Alex, and Mercedes at Brittany's party, consciously forcing herself to keep from running to Noah so she could spend the party attached to his hip. Gradually she noticed that the three of them were the only ones left in the living room. It seemed that everyone was congregating in the kitchen. "I think I'm going to get some water, if you'll excuse me," she said.

"Oh, I'll get you some water, Rachel," said Kurt quickly.

"Ever the gentleman," praised Alex. Kurt flushed a little.

"Mmm, nothing like some refreshing water after a victory," said Mercedes, lifting her water cup. "Could you get me some too, Kurt?"

"Of course, dears, I'll be right back," he said.

Rachel was a bit suspicious, but she fought the urge to check on Noah. She was going to be an independent woman if it killed her. As the conversation wore on, as interesting as it was to get to know Alex, Rachel found her mind drifting. She was ready for that alone time she had promised her man. And she also realized that she still hadn't seen anyone else come out of the kitchen except for Finn and Quinn, who were talking on the sofa. Rachel suddenly felt a flash of panic that Santana might try to get her claws into Noah while she was chatting idly in the living room.

…

Puck couldn't remember the last time he'd had a drink. Fuck, it was that half a beer all the way back on New Year's Eve. And before that, it had been months and months. Well, he had to make up for that shit. He chugged his first beer and went for a second. Shots? Jack Daniel's—make it a double. Cuervo? Don't mind if I do. He actually felt a little light-headed. Suddenly he was a light-weight again?!

Someone started chanting in a low voice, "Chainsaw, chainsaw" which was apparently some fucked up shot with vodka and Tabasco. Bring it! He spotted Rachel with a fire in her eyes stomping towards him. She looked so hilarious. And a little hot. He decided to stop drinking because he might not be able to get it up if he drank too much. And he still wanted to punish Berry for her bad behavior.

"Noah Puckerman, what do you think you're doing?" Rachel demanded.

"Lighten up, Berry," he leered at her, stabilizing himself against the kitchen counter.

"You're drunk!" she said, staring into his eyes and realizing they were already bloodshot.

Puck shrugged. "So. You drive. Or we'll stay the night."

"You know I can't drive your truck! It's got a stick shift! And you know I can't stay the night! We're finally making progress with my dads!"

Oh yeah, Puck forgot about the transmission problem. "Seriously, you're gonna have to calm down. My head hurts," Puck said. His tongue was also starting to feel thick in his mouth, like he couldn't form words right. He hadn't been drunk in a really long time.

"Well, a headache serves you right for drinking!" Then Rachel spun around to address everyone. "I can't believe you're all being so cavalier about drinking after everything we've been training for—we've made it to the next level and you're all acting so…so…careless! I feel you owe me and yourselves an apology!"

"Hey, I've got it. Why don't _you_ apologize to _me_ and everyone else for your crazy bitchy attitude?" At least that's what it sounded like in Puck's head. To everyone else he said, "Hh, I've g't. Why dnt _you _'polgize t' _me_ 'nd evry'ne 'lse f' yur crzy b'tchy a'tude?"

He was greeted by applause. Even through his slurred words, they knew what he was saying, and they agreed.

Rachel opened her mouth, closed it, and repeated a few times. Puck kinda thought she looked like a fish, but he was losing it fast and was having trouble forming thoughts. His head was spinning. But he could still tell she was about to burst into tears.

Shit.

Puck started to open his mouth to say something. To apologize. But as he did, a heinous belch was released, and he knew there was more coming. He spun around to find the nearest appropriate place to puke.

…

Rachel was alone. She couldn't drive Puck's truck herself. And everyone was applauding at Puck's degrading remark to her. Through her tears, Rachel supposed she had no choice but to walk home. She headed for the door without a word. Then she felt a light touch on her shoulder.

"Rachel," started Quinn. "I can drive you home if you want. I need a break from Finn trying to convince me to stop seeing Josh anyway." Quinn gave a half-smile along with her eye roll.

Rachel nodded. "Thank you, Quinn. I assume Puck has gotten himself into such situations before and will be fine to sleep it off at Brittany's. Though I admit I am concerned to leave him here like this."

Quinn noticed how Rachel called him _Puck_, but she didn't say anything. She just confirmed that Rachel didn't need to worry about him. Quinn exchanged a glance with Finn and a wave goodbye before ushering Rachel to her car. "I know, Rachel. I'll call Finn and ask him to stay the night here with Puck to make sure he's ok."

"Thanks, Quinn, I appreciate that."

So on the drive, Quinn called Finn and explained the request to ease Rachel's mind.

"That's a good idea, Quinn. You're a really good friend." Finn said, sounding a bit in awe.

His words melted Quinn's heart a little. "Thanks for doing this, Finn. You're a good friend too." Quinn was smiling when she hung up the phone. If nothing else, she thought she could probably say that at least she and Finn could be friends again.

…

Tina had watched them go and felt a pang of regret for being frozen in place rather than jumping to Rachel's aid. Some friend she was. Tina had even applauded along with the others because seriously Rachel was being way too competitive. She found it a little odd that it was Quinn who came to Rachel's rescue, but Quinn and Rachel seemed to hang around each other more often now—for reasons that Tina didn't understand and was never told. She decided that since she had missed that opportunity to help her, the next best thing she could do would be to stick around to make sure Puck's ok and report back to Rachel. She hung outside the bathroom door, listening to Puck vomit and listening for a thud she was hoping not to hear.

Artie wheeled to her and looked up at her suspiciously. "Since when have you shown an interest in Puck?"

Tina wasn't sure what Artie was getting at—was he jealous? Did he think she _liked Puck_? That she would try to _steal_ him from Rachel? Tina was getting a little upset. "Since he is still Rachel's boyfriend, I thought Rachel would appreciate it if someone would look out for him. So that's what I'm doing." She crossed her arms defensively. She was no Santana Lopez. Artie had been her friend, a good one, but things weren't quite the same ever since she revealed that she didn't really have a stutter. He always seemed to be holding a little something back. And now he was acting jealous? And had a low opinion of her?!

"Oh, that makes sense," said Artie slowly, almost to himself. Then he looked her in the eyes. "You're a really good person, Tina."

She could feel the warmth in his words, in his tone. "I'm trying to be," she smiled shyly.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He nodded his head in the direction of the bathroom. They could both hear retching on the other side of the door.

"Actually yes, thanks. Could you stick around to help me with Puck after he, uh, finishes? He might have trouble walking or something."

"Of course," Artie said. Leaving what he wanted to say unspoken: _Anything for you_.

…

Puck woke up late the next morning, slumped on a sofa, fully clothed. If things had gone the way he'd intended, he'd be at Britt's, sure, but he'd be naked and there'd be a naked Rachel sleeping next to him. Given his state, he knew Rachel wasn't around. Shit. He didn't remember much, but what he did remember was not good. And he had the worst fucking headache of his life. Puck saw Finn was sprawled out in a chair, legs propped up on an ottoman, snoring. Maybe Finn could fill in the blanks when he woke up.

And that's what Finn did.

…

After Puck got Finn's story of the night's events, he immediately sent a text to Rachel to say 'sorry'. He also thanked Finn for staying with him and making sure Santana didn't rape him in his sleep. Because apparently that shit almost went down when he had originally passed out in Brittany's room. Finn had carried him to the living room couch. Finn may not have a vocabulary like Rachel, but when he told Puck about how he had slung his dead weight over his shoulder and survived the Santana-bitch-stare, Puck had a good laugh, even as he winced at the flash of pain through his skull. "I really appreciate it, man," Puck chuckled, and held out his hand for a fist bump. Finn grinned back and bumped his fist. "You should, you weigh a ton!" Then Finn looked a little more serious. "Quinn asked me to look out for you. And she asked because of Rachel. So I guess you can thank Quinn too," Finn shrugged. It felt weird for Puck to be thanking him for something. But maybe they were almost friends again.

"I'll do that," Puck affirmed. "Thanks again, man."

…

Puck ended up sending several similar 'sorry' messages throughout the day on Sunday. He finally got a reply that afternoon. 'I'm very hurt. I needed your support. I'm going through a hard time. Your behavior was disappointing.'

That shit really stung. He was always disappointing everyone. He hated to think about disappointing Rachel. He didn't really know what else to say to her after that. He was feeling really shitty about everything, but he also started to think about how she never apologized for her bad attitude that had started all of this. She just made an excuse about going through a hard time. Puck tried to think about what to do next.

…

For her part, Rachel regretted using the word 'disappointing'. After she had typed it, she knew it would be hurtful and that was not her intent. She messaged back that she didn't use the appropriate word choice to explain her feelings, but she still felt hurt by his inconsiderate actions. Then she regretted typing 'inconsiderate', so she sent another message about her word choice.

She may have sent a string of messages regarding her poor choices of words.

…

Puck saw several missed messages from Rachel on Sunday when he got out of the shower after his mid-day workout. He saw they were all long but none of them said that she was sorry or that she accepted his apology.

Now, Puck wasn't about to grovel or anything. He had already tried to apologize directly. So Puck did the next thing he could think of. He called to ask if Josh could book a weekday show, working around his basketball practices, of course. Josh said that should be easy and said they should meet for practice since Puck had been missing a lot lately. Puck was happy to drive out for band practice for the distraction, but mostly he was glad to get started because he had a song he wanted to add to the show.

Which is what he announced upon arriving to Josh's place. "Guys, I have another song suggestion."

"So what'd you do this time?" asked Josh.

"What do you mean?"

"Every time you suggest a song, it's about Rachel."

Trey confirmed this trend. "Yeah, remember that time you just sang in practice and she, like, cried?"

"Ok, so yeah, it's about Rachel," Puck confirmed moodily. "We had this victory party because we won at Regionals, and I got drunk and sort of, indirectly, called her a bitch."

Josh and the other guys snorted their laughs.

"Hmm," Josh grunted. "And you're gonna play some sappy 'I'm sorry' ballad again?"

"Nope." He handed over the song.

Josh took a look. "Huh. So you're taking this pretty literally."

"I guess. I've already apologized. I figure this will be a public admission of guilt and it'll say I'm sorry I fucked up when I was drunk."

"Well, then I guess this song fits the bill," Josh chuckled. "I suppose you'll want to be the lead?"

"Actually, I thought we could both lead and do some harmonizing."

"Harmonizing?" Josh smirked. "I keep forgetting you're in high school, man, let alone that you do weirdass stuff like competitive singing."

"Yeah, that's what we were all doing last Saturday. It was Regionals for choir. Now we're going to Nationals at the end of March."

"Congrats?"

"Uh, thanks."

"So how are you even gonna get your girl to watch the show if she's mad at you?" Eddie asked.

"Quinn. They've become like bffs or whatever. They used to be total enemies and now they're always talking and shit."

"You don't think they talk about _us_ do you?" Josh asked, his eyes a bit wider than usual.

"I _know_ they do." Puck recalled the girl talk session after the introductory double date. The memory was still painful.

"Weird. Well at least they can't compare notes on us."

Puck flinched. "Shit dude, why'd you say that for?"

"What?"

"I just realized that they _can_ compare notes on me and their other _shared boyfriend_."

Josh knew he must mean Finn. "Dude, that's fucked up."

"You're telling me! All that's left is for Rachel to start dating you. But that's definitely not gonna happen."

"Definitely not." Josh affirmed readily.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Puck narrowed his eyes.

"Nothing, man. I mean, your girl's got a tight body and all that, I just mean I'm not interested in trying to date another high school girl. One's enough."

"Oh. Good." Puck unclenched his fists. "Yeah, I was kinda surprised you didn't drop Quinn when you found out."

"You were? I figured if anyone would understand why I didn't, it would be you."

"Uh, I guess you're right," Puck replied. He felt awkward.

"She's Quinn," Josh stated.

"Yeah. I get it." It wasn't that long ago that Puck had been falling over himself to do anything for Quinn Fabray. But somehow it felt like that had all happened a long time ago.

Trey played a few drum beats to bring them out of their conversation. "All right you twats, can we practice this song already?"

…

School on Monday did not go as well as Puck or Rachel could have hoped. The both wanted to just get over their problems, but they had a hard time doing it. Puck picked Rachel up, as he usually did when he didn't have basketball practice after school. They got through the awkward pleasantries before Rachel started in on the discussion.

"I didn't mean to use those words in my messages to you," Rachel said nervously.

"And I didn't mean to say you were bitchy," Puck said. "I was drunk, and I just don't know why you've been acting this way. You've been on everyone's ass more than usual and you won't let me touch you!"

"I don't know how many times I can explain it. I told you. Dr. Baxter called us _co-dependent_."

"You told me? I don't even know what that means!" Puck's hands left the steering wheel as he gestured.

"Honestly, it's like you don't even listen to me! I talked to you about this last week!"

"Was it when you were talking about all the rules and suggestions?"

"Maybe…"

"Well that'd be why I wasn't listening," stated Puck.

Rachel sputtered, "You're supposed to listen to me, to support me! I'm going through a really hard time. I'm trying to do what the therapist says!" They had arrived at the school parking lot, and Rachel took a deep breath. "Thank you for the ride. I'll see you in glee." She exited the truck before Puck knew what had happened.

Puck got a text from Rachel at the start of the lunch period saying that she was tutoring and wouldn't be in lunch. He took the opportunity to text her back, asking her to come to the band's show the next day. He didn't see a reply. He supposed he'd see her in glee.

…

Tina saw Rachel rush into the music room, looking upset. She headed her way but was surprised when Quinn intercepted Rachel first. Perhaps Quinn was better equipped to deal with Rachel's issues with Puck anyway, so Tina retreated to her seat for glee.

"Oh, Quinn, he's just so frustrating! I'll think he's the most attentive boyfriend in the world, and then he reveals that he doesn't really even listen to a word I'm saying. I don't know what to think." Rachel replied to Quinn's simple inquiry of 'how are you'.

"He's a jerk," Quinn agreed, "but he can be romantic too. I think he's probably been more romantic with you than anyone. Like that Sweet Caroline solo. I didn't even realize he was singing it to you at first, but it was really romantic."

"You're right," Rachel said as she started to breathe deeply to calm herself. She gave a small smile. "He's serenaded me outside my house before, and he sang a song, alone with his guitar, on stage at one of his shows."

Quinn spotted her opportunity. "Glad you mention that. Puck asked me to make sure I get you to come to his next show with the band."

"I don't know…" said Rachel. She wasn't sure if a public venue was wise.

"Don't make me kidnap you," warned Quinn. "Come willingly with me. We should show up with the band so we don't have to worry about ids and things."

…

After glee, Puck took Rachel home as usual. She agreed to come to his show, so that was good. He apologized again, for the bitch thing, and he added an apology for not listening to her about co-whatever. He waited for her apology for actually acting bitchy, but that never came. All that came was more explanation about the therapist since Puck hadn't listened the first time.

Puck tried to pay attention this time, but he still had no idea what she was talking about. By the time they got to her house, Rachel just sighed and said she talk to him later when she had his full attention since it seemed that driving was too big of a diversion.

Puck let her go. Anxiously awaiting her big lecture at some unknown time when he wouldn't be driving her around. Right.

…

**March, Junior Year**

Glee on Tuesday was kind of a blur as they just rehearsed their set from Regionals while Schue ran around freaking out trying to decide if they had time to bring in new songs for Nationals. Puck and Rachel were barely speaking, but they both hoped that something would happen at The Tavern that night that would magically fix everything.

Quinn arrived with Rachel as promised so they could walk in with the band backstage before the show.

"Thanks for coming," Puck said to both girls.

"Of course," said Quinn.

"You're welcome," said Rachel.

Puck had to set up, so he didn't have time to talk longer. He was anxious to play his song for Rachel. All the guys took their places on stage, and Quinn and Rachel stayed backstage, with Rachel in Puck's view when he turned his head her way. When it was time for Puck to sing lead with Josh, he strummed the electric guitar and said, "This one's for my girl." The small weekday crowd clapped and hooted at this admission.

_Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk?  
I didn't mean to call you that.  
I can't remember what was said or what you threw at me_

Please tell me, Please tell me why?  
My car is in the front yard  
And I'm sleeping with my clothes on  
I came in through the window last night  
And you're gone gone

It's no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy,  
Cuz every now and then I kick the living shit out of me  
The smoke alarm is going off when there's a cigarette  
Still burning

Please tell me why  
My car is in the front yard  
And I'm sleeping with my clothes on  
I came in through the window last night  
And you're gone, gone

Please tell me why  
My car is in the front yard  
And I'm sleeping with my clothes on  
I came in through the window last night  
(aah-ooooh)  
It's no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy

_(aah-oooh)  
Cuz every now and then I kick the living shit out of me_

_(aah-oooh)  
Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk?_

_(aah-ooh)  
I didn't mean to call you that_

_(oooh)_

…

Quinn was waiting backstage after the show. Puck didn't see Rachel. "That was your big apology?" asked an incredulous Quinn. "I kept telling Rachel that surely you would be doing a ballad for her too. She told me about the other time, you know. That would have been a much better route to take."

"So next time I should consult you, huh?"

"Yes, if you want it to work. On second thought, no, please don't talk to me about such things at all."

Awkward.

"So, where's Berry?" Puck asked. "She didn't leave, right?" He felt panic rising.

"I'm here," Rachel stepped forward. "The performance was…interesting." Quinn moved away to talk to Josh and give them some privacy.

"Uh, ok? Well, I've already apologized about a million times, so…"

"It's ok. I forgive you. I just…I hate it that you were thinking of me as, as a crazy…bitch." She whispered the last few words and her eyes shined with collected tears. "I want to be able to trust you. To know you'll listen when I talk about the important things…"

"Wait. Can we try a Do-Over?"

"A do-over?"

"Yeah. Rewind. It's last week. You're going hard core on doing everything you can to make our lives suck so we can beat Vocal Adrenaline. Now instead of me trying to ignore that, I say, 'Hey, Rach, I get that you're all gung-ho on this stuff for glee because of their evil director. Wanna talk?' If I said that then maybe you wouldn't have been so wound up an on everyone's last nerve…Wait a minute, I did say something like that, didn't I?" He said, proving his point.

"But I did talk to you about it," she protested.

"But not when I asked you, right?"

Rachel nodded warily.

"Ok, and how 'bout instead of you blowing me off about talking about it, you say…?" He paused. "Whenever you're ready," he gestured for her to speak.

She nodded, understanding his intentions for this little game. "I say, 'Thank you for being so considerate to ask about my feelings.'"

Puck nodded his approval. "Then when I say you should let me help you relax; instead of getting worried about getting caught or losing valuable rehearsal time, you say…?"

"I say, 'That sounds like a good idea'?"

"That's a good start. Do you think I would have relaxed you?" he questioned.

"I know you could have…" she breathed.

"That's right." Puck crossed his arms over his chest. He was amused at the way Rachel's eyes followed his movements. "So next time, will you consider my opinions and not focus on just your own solutions?"

"Yes, you're right," she admitted, looking up from his lovely arms to his lovely eyes. "And so well-spoken," she smiled.

"I try, Berry. God help me, I try," Puck shook his head. "So, do you wanna go talk?"

"Yes, I do, thank you," she nodded primly. "And what exactly did you have in mind for relaxation techniques?"

She used that voice that made it hard for Puck to tell if she was serious or flirting. Doesn't matter since it started to make _it_ hard anyway.

"Maybe we'll start with a massage," he gave her a taste by kneading her neck and shoulders. "I love to use my hands," he growled.

She let out a noise that was half sigh, half moan.

That was enough for Puck. "Ok, seriously, your place or mine?"

…

**A.N.** Sorry such a long chapter. Otherwise you would have had to wait a week for the resolution though. Just to be clear, nobody in my story is always right or always wrong. There are role reversals and times when people repeat mistakes. This chapter was one look into some of those things, and just part of the evolution of relationships over Junior Year.

**Next Up:** Moving ahead through to Nationals (end of March), chapter entitled "Troubled Times". If you have any requests for the story (songs, plot, characters) now is the time to start getting those in to me. I think I have about 3 chapters left.

**Johnny Gleek**, I couldn't reply to your review because it wasn't signed. No room here to force everyone to read my full reply, but you are right. I have a scenario I could propose to you to somewhat remedy the problem if you have an account and sign in with a review, I'll message you. Otherwise, I give my apologies and assurance that I won't quit my day job. (For the three of you who know what my day job is, that might be funny.)

Thanks to everyone for reading and providing feedback! Hope it's still entertaining you!


	23. Troubled Times

**A.N.** The theme of this chapter comes from Fountains of Wayne's "Troubled Times". In addition to the main relationship stuff, friendships are a focus of this chapter, for all of you who mentioned it (too many of you over time to list individually, but most recently: **Alimard**, **Karma22**, **shinecsc**, **weasleymadchen**). Big thank you's to **ncar08** for suggesting "Breakeven" by The Script, **weasleymadchen** for "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis, and **Alimard** for "Bulletproof" by La Roux. More shout outs found in ending Author's Note.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or anything familiar.

…

**March, Junior Year**

Tina was at her locker before first period on Wednesday, preparing for another day. It had been four days since she and Artie had helped Puck out of Brittany's bathroom and into her bed on the night of the Regionals victory party. Rachel had already thanked Tina profusely for her service, since Finn had let her know that before he got the call from Quinn, Tina had already started the Puck watch. By now, Tina wasn't expecting that she'd get an acknowledgment from Puck. He might not even remember that portion of the night. So she was surprised when Puck appeared next to her, holding a slushie.

"'Sup, Tina," said Puck. "Here, this is for you. It's grape. It matches the streaks in your hair today." Puck held out the slushie for her to take.

Tina felt herself blush a little. "Thanks, Puck. What's the occasion?" she asked as she took the cup.

"Oh, yeah. I meant to say that first." Puck ran his hand over his Mohawk. "This is a delayed 'thanks' for your help on Saturday. I was really out of it."

Tina grinned at Puck's slightly flustered response. Plus it was sweet and nice to be thanked. "You're welcome. I was just trying to be a friend to you and Rachel." Tina shrugged, then raised the slushie cup. "Thanks again for the drink. Did Rachel tell you to give me a thank you gift?" she grinned.

"Nah, this was all me," Puck said in his usual cocky manner. "See ya later, T."

Artie came by Tina's locker to head to class with her. "So a slushie from Puck, huh?" he raised his eyebrows. "You know that's how he got things started with Rachel." Artie smiled to let her know he was joking and not trying to sound like a jealous wanna-be-boyfriend. He hoped she picked up on the joking vibe.

He figured that she did when he saw Tina smile. "And how do you know that?"

"I have my ways," Artie said mysteriously. "Now I'm just wondering why Puck hasn't given _me_ a 'thank you slushie' yet. These wheels came in handy for carrying his drunk ass!"

…

That day Finn finished his lunch early and headed to the library for some time alone. Quinn looked at him questioningly, but she didn't follow him. She was still eating lunch and chatting.

Finn had been doing a lot of thinking about his feelings. A lot. It made his head hurt. He thought maybe if he talked to someone about what was going on with Quinn, it would help him figure out what to do. The first person he thought of to ask for help was Rachel. But he wasn't sure if she'd feel comfortable helping him. She had been in his thoughts about his feelings for Quinn, though he'd probably leave that part out if he talked to her. When Finn thought about everything that had happened sophomore year, he realized a few things. When Rachel had flirted with him, complimented him, and praised him sophomore year, he had been really attracted to her. _Really attracted_. Now that she was no longer wearing "Team Finn" t-shirts, she was still nice to him; but they barely interacted any more outside of glee, and there was no more flirting going on. So Finn was able to feel his fondness for Rachel, but he decided it was definitely a friendship feeling, nothing more. He realized that Rachel had given him something during sophomore year that he had started missing from Quinn: the feeling of being appreciated by someone.

…

Rachel finished her lunch quickly as well, and was in the library for a tutoring session. She had set one up so she'd have an excuse to avoid Noah during their last fight, and she couldn't bring herself to let the poor guy down. She noticed Finn sitting alone in the library, scribbling into a notebook and mumbling to himself. She smiled at the intense look on his face before she turned back to her pupil.

But she finished helping Trent with his assignment (without just giving him the answers) before the end of the lunch period, so she slid into the seat next to Finn.

"Hey, Finn," she whispered. It was the library after all. "You look like you're really thinking hard about something over here."

"Oh, Rach!" he exclaimed softly. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Great! Let's talk." Rachel was curious.

"It's about Quinn, so if you get uncomfortable, just let me know." He paused and Rachel nodded for him to continue. "I've been thinking about how I feel about her."

"I'm so glad to hear that!" Rachel said honestly. She didn't consider herself nosy (even though others might), but she had become invested in Finn and Quinn's relationship, originally for the sake of glee. She wanted to do whatever she could to help them. She listened as Finn continued describing things with Quinn.

"Quinn had been so cool when we first started dating, but then she started acting so…bossy. And she looked down on me _all the time_. And then there was everything that happened with the baby…" Finn's voice trailed off. Rachel took his hand and gave a reassuring squeeze. "Then this year it was like she wanted to be friends again, more than friends, really. And I wasn't quite ready, you know?"

Rachel realized it was a rhetorical question, so she didn't respond; she just nodded and squeezed his hand again. He squeezed back.

"But now, we have this weird arrangement where she's like dating me and that Josh guy. Have you heard of that, an open relationship?"

"Yes, I have, Finn. It's a mature decision for people who aren't ready for exclusive commitments,"

"Yeah, I guess it's mature. Except, the two of us haven't really even gone on a date and she's always with _him_. I'm not really part of the…equation."

"Hmm. Well, you might have to make yourself part of the equation, if that's what you want. An open relationship isn't for everyone. Do you know what you want, Finn?" Rachel knew she wouldn't be able to stand the thought of an open relationship with Noah. She shuddered involuntarily.

"Yeah, I do. I just want to be _wanted_."

Rachel's heart hurt a little for Finn in that moment. But she wasn't really sure what she could do. Luckily, Finn continued.

"So now my problem with this arrangement with Quinn is that I still can't tell if she wants to be with me at all. If she wants to date some other guy, isn't that a bad sign or something?"

Rachel personally thought it wasn't a very good sign, but she decided that would not be a helpful comment. "Well, you two are young. It's not as though you are thinking of marriage right now. You should figure out what makes you happy and focus on that. If you can be happy with spending some time with Quinn even though she also spends time with Josh, then I think you should do that. But if the thought of sharing her prevents you from enjoying spending time with her, then you should tell her."

"Thanks, Rach. I'm not really good with words. And it's hard to think this stuff through. But you've been really helpful."

"You know, your situation reminds me of a song," Rachel leaned down to dig her ipod from her trolleybag. "It is pretty old, but I recently had a Veronica Mars marathon to prompt me to think of it."

"A what marathon?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just the show that Kurt and I bond over. Anyway, there's a song from that show which I think would suit your situation."

"A song?" Finn chuckled. Leave it to Rachel.

"Yes, I always find that music helps to express emotions."

"Is that why you post videos on Myspace?" he asked earnestly.

"Yes…that's one reason."

"Why haven't you posted anything lately?"

"You check my page?" Rachel's eyes widened.

"Uh, no," Finn said quickly. Rachel regarded him skeptically. "Well, ok, yeah, sometimes. I guess I just love hearing you sing."

Rachel blushed. "Well, thank you, Finn. I think I'll have to post something soon." She gave a small smile as she looked down at her music list. "Here, I have the song cued up. Wanna listen together?"

"Sure, thanks, Rach." So they each took one ear bud and listened to "Troubled Times" by Fountains of Wayne in the library.

_When you think you've found something worth holding onto  
We reach in for attention, hoping she would notice you  
Collecting bottles and thrown-away cans  
Like she was returnable  
One day would fill your hands  
How she loved you, all you imagined  
Fit so well into your plans_

Maybe one day soon it will all come out  
How you dream about each other sometimes  
With the memory of how you once gave up  
But you made it through the troubled times

Pining away every hour in your room  
Rolling with the motion, waiting 'til it's opportune  
Sitting there watching time fly past you  
Why do tomorrow  
What you could never do  
How she loved you  
All you imagined  
All the shit you put her through

_Maybe one day soon it will all come out  
How you dream about each other sometimes  
With the memory of how you once gave up  
But you made it through the troubled times_

And it takes a lot of nerve to ask how she is doing  
Start with a weak foundation, you will end in ruins  
The way the days and hours pass you'll never understand  
Falling like rain through your hands

Maybe one day soon it will all come out  
How you dream about each other sometimes  
With the memory of how you once gave up  
But you made it through the troubled times…

Rachel spent the rest of the lunch hour analyzing the song for Finn. "It's good that you're thinking about these feelings. It's very important. Then once you have your feelings figured out, you should talk to Quinn."

"Thanks, Rach. I've missed talking to you. As friends." He smiled genuinely. "You know, there's something I've told Puck but I haven't told you. I thought it would be me and you and Puck and Quinn. But I'm really happy for the two of you. I'm glad you guys are happy together. I just wanted you to know that."

"Thank you, Finn. I appreciate that. I want you to be happy too."

…

On the way to glee, Rachel met up with Puck in the hallway and told him about her talk with Finn. "I think we really could be friends again!" she finished excitedly.

"I'll alert the media," he deadpanned.

She scowled up at him and he smirked back, leaving her no choice but to allow the smile that crept onto her face to show. She hip checked him, which just resulted in her hip bumping his thigh, and he put his arm around her as they walked.

…

Puck had basketball practice after school, and Rachel decided it would be a good time to post a new Myspace video. Finn had prompted her to think about posting, and his thoughts about the unlikely pair she made with Noah helped her pick the song. But she had settled on Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" to also help vent her frustrations about her dads' problem with her relationship with Noah. So this song was dedicated to her boyfriend, to show him how she felt and how she didn't care what everyone thought of their relationship.

_Closed off from love  
I didn't need the pain  
Once or twice was enough  
And it was all in vain  
Time starts to pass  
Before you know it you're frozen_

But something happened  
For the very first time with you  
My heart melts into the ground  
Found something true  
And everyone's looking round  
Thinking I'm going crazy

But I don't care what they say  
I'm in love with you  
They try to pull me away  
But they don't know the truth  
My heart's crippled by the vein  
That I keep on closing  
You cut me open and I  
Keep bleeding  
Keep, keep bleeding love  
I keep bleeding  
I keep, keep bleeding love  
Keep bleeding  
Keep, keep bleeding love  
You cut me open

Trying hard not to hear  
But they talk so loud  
Their piercing sounds fill my ears  
Try to fill me with doubt  
Yet I know that the goal  
Is to keep me from falling

But nothing's greater than the rush that comes with your embrace  
And in this world of loneliness  
I see your face  
Yet everyone around me  
Thinks that I'm going crazy, maybe, maybe

But I don't care what they say  
I'm in love with you  
They try to pull me away  
But they don't know the truth  
My heart's crippled by the vein  
That I keep on closing  
You cut me open and I  
Keep bleeding  
Keep, keep bleeding love  
I keep bleeding  
I keep, keep bleeding love  
Keep bleeding  
Keep, keep bleeding love  
You cut me open

And it's draining all of me  
Oh they find it hard to believe  
I'll be wearing these scars  
For everyone to see

I don't care what they say  
I'm in love with you  
They try to pull me away  
But they don't know the truth  
My heart's crippled by the vein  
That I keep on closing  
You cut me open and I  
Keep bleeding  
Keep, keep bleeding love  
I keep bleeding  
I keep, keep bleeding love  
Keep bleeding  
Keep, keep bleeding love  
You cut me open and I

Keep bleeding  
Keep, keep bleeding love  
I keep bleeding  
I keep, keep bleeding love  
Keep bleeding  
Keep, keep bleeding love  
You cut me open and I  
Keep bleeding  
Keep, keep bleeding love

…

"Dad, Daddy!" Rachel called when she finished. "I'd like you to come see my new video. Then I'd like to have a family discussion."

From her place in her room, Rachel didn't see the look exchanged by her fathers as they dutifully joined their daughter for her requested discussion.

…

It had taken him nearly a week to get it together after Regionals, but by Thursday Will had a kernel of a plan for New Directions' first appearance at Nationals. Now it was just a matter of getting the kids to agree to it. He cleared his throat nervously to make his announcement and request.

"Ok, guys, before we get started today, I'd like to lay out some scenarios and come up with a plan. We've spent this week rehearsing our show from Regionals, but we already know that it wasn't enough to solidly beat Vocal Adrenaline. First, I propose that we consider adding a new song."

He heard the students groan at the idea. Just wait until they heard his next request.

"I know, I know," Will raised his hands in a placating manner. "It will take a lot of hard work to make the changes to our routine by adding another song. But we have three weeks until the end of March."

"You mean two weeks," reminded Kurt. "You forgot about Spring Break."

"Actually, Kurt, I didn't. That's the second thing I want to propose to you. We could have intensive rehearsals over Spring Break when we don't have to worry about classes getting in the way!" Will was excited and hoped that the kids would be too. But he could tell from their open-mouthed stares that they were shocked by his suggestion.

Will was right. The students really were shocked that he'd even suggest skipping Spring Break to practice for glee (!?).

"I'll stay, Mr. Schue," said Finn diplomatically.

"Thank you for that show of leadership, Finn," Will said.

Puck thought Schue was about to start a bromance with Finn by the way he was looking at the glee golden boy. No Spring Break? No fucking way was he going along with that shit.

"As captain of New Directions, I will also volunteer to stay for rehearsals," said Rachel, getting up to stand next to Finn. Puck flashed her a WTF look.

"Mr. Schuester," Santana began in her condescending tone, "my parents and I go to Cabo every year. It's been scheduled. I'm sure many of us already have plans for Spring Break that do not involve staying in Lima and rehearsing for glee." She looked around smugly at all of the nods her statement garnered from the other students.

"You're right, Santana. I can't force you to abandon your Spring Break plans," Will said. "But, I guarantee that Vocal Adrenaline will be practicing over the break. Also, I have learned that Nationals will be held in Orlando on the last Saturday in March, and in order for you to get there on time and be well-rested, we'll leave on Thursday. So you'll get to miss school…and I'll make sure you get to spend some extra time there for some fun in the sun…" He tried to sound enticing with his bargain.

Santana scoffed, "_Orlando_ is no Cabo. It's not even on a coast. Besides, not even Coach Sylvester makes the Cheerios practice over Spring Break. And _we_ have actually _won_ national competitions."

Rachel surprised herself by agreeing with Santana. Her hand shot up. "Mr. Schuester, I changed my mind. I think Santana makes a valid point."

Rachel's outburst was greeted by a chorus of: "You do?!"

Santana grimaced.

"I do," Rachel looked around the room, smiling at Puck, then looking back at Mr. Schue with seriousness. "Mr. Schuester, it is unlikely that we will win first place at Nationals with our small, meagerly funded choir, regardless of the number of hours we practice. We would be more effective as a team if we used Spring Break to relax and recuperate from the stress of our daily activities. This is a really stressful time, especially for those of us preparing for college and such. Perhaps we could compromise such that those who did not have vacation plans established could stay for a late practice on Friday before Spring Break? Maybe hold some additional, voluntary rehearsals for those staying in Lima?"

Puck was shocked, pleasantly, that Rachel did a complete 180 from her psycho stance about beating Vocal Adrenaline into rubble. And then when Schue agreed to stop pushing the no Spring Break thing, he thought the glee club should hoist Rachel onto their shoulders and parade her around for her victory.

Of course, he didn't instigate that mini-riot, but after Rachel returned to his side from her place next to Finn, he leaned down to whisper, "You rock, baby. And it's totally hot."

Rachel appreciated his acknowledgement of her personal growth. And she didn't mind that he thought it was sexy either.

…

After glee rehearsal, Finn asked Quinn to hang back. He was taking Rachel's advice and making himself part of the equation.

"I know it's early, but I was wondering if you wanna go to Prom with me…" He tried to sound cool and casual.

The question took Quinn by surprise. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she looked into Finn's brown eyes. This is what she had wanted. But Josh's blue eyes flashed into her mind. She always planned to go to Prom with Finn, but ever since Finn's stunt telling Josh to check into her background, she had been thinking about what it would be like if she went with Josh instead.

Finn took Quinn's hesitation as a sign that she's just not that into him. He opened his mouth to play down his question with an "It's cool," but Quinn beat him to it.

"Thank you for asking, Finn. I just wasn't expecting to think about Prom so soon. Do you mind if I tell you my answer tomorrow?"

"That's cool," Finn responded. He was already preparing to say something like that. He just hated that he knew she was going to ask Josh if he'd go with her. Finn would be her second choice. He felt about six inches tall instead of over six feet, and he didn't know what to do. He booked it out of the music room.

Quinn felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe dating two different guys was harder than she thought.

…

Mercedes overheard Finn ask Quinn to Prom and she started to have a little freakout. It was time to start getting a date to Prom already? It was more than a month away! What if Eric asked someone else? She calmed down a little when she remembered that he had to be invited to Prom because he's only a freshman. But then she freaked again when she worried that someone else might beat her to it. And he could say no.

"Kurt, what am I gonna do?!" Mercedes grabbed his arm as he started to stand.

"Whatever are you talking about?"

Mercedes pulled him back down so she could whisper in his ear, "I have to ask Eric to Prom, like right away! Finn just asked Quinn. It's Prom season already!"

"Chill out, cradle-robber," Kurt teased, removing her hand from his designer sweater.

"I'm chill," Mercedes tried to play it cool, not even registering his insult about the age of her potential date.

Kurt suppressed a chuckle. "Tell you what, let's plan a double date so we can ask our fellas to Prom," said Kurt.

"I'm right next to you, Kurt," reminded Alex.

"Don't spoil it," said Kurt, glancing at his handsome boyfriend. Kurt's expression turned from condescending to a look of fondness. "I'm gonna ask you on a real date," he whispered.

Alex grinned. "Ok, I'll wait. You two plan away."

…

That night Quinn called Josh.

"So, you wouldn't be interested in going to a high school prom, would you?" she asked him.

"No. I wouldn't," he answered right away without thinking.

"I didn't think so," Quinn replied. "Finn asked me anyway, but I just wanted to check. Thanks!" Quinn hung up quickly so Josh wouldn't catch on that she was upset that he said no.

Josh was left gaping, phone still at his ear. What just happened? Maybe he should reconsider his answer. No, she said she already had a date. Still, maybe he needed to reserve some time with her that didn't require him dressing up in a tux and dancing to lame music with a bunch of high school kids.

He called her back. "Come over this weekend. Let's talk about plans for Spring Break."

"That's still a _no_ for Prom, right?"

"Yeah, I mean, right. You already have a date, so there's probably no reason for me to try to go to a high school prom when you and I can make other plans together, right?" Josh hoped that sounded cool enough.

"You're right," Quinn said. But Josh could tell she sounded a little disappointed. He was kind of glad since he thought that meant that she would rather go with him instead of Finn. But he didn't want to act all clingy or be a possessive asshole because she wanted to keep things open. He should be happy he had a beautiful girl who wanted to see him AND let him see other people. Even if he wasn't actually dating anyone else.

"Don't get me wrong," Josh said. "I'm pretty jealous that Finn gets to be the one to see you all dressed up and take you to your prom. But it makes more sense for you to go with him, don't you think? Especially if he already asked you."

Quinn smiled into the phone. He really was right of course. And she liked the idea that he was a little jealous that Finn would see her in her prom dress. "Maybe I'll make sure you get a peek at my prom attire too."

Josh cleared his throat. "Well, we better not start talking about that unless you wanna start having phone sex. …So anyway, about Spring Break…"

Quinn almost replied _Who said I don't want to have phone sex_? But she stopped herself because she wasn't really ready to go there. She was glad Josh seemed to know that. "Right, Spring Break?"

"I'm thinking of going to visit my brother. He just opened a bar near NYU. He and his wife have a place where we could crash. I know it's not the beach, but I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?"

"Really?!"

"Yeah. I only just talked to my brother, but I was thinking how cool it would be if the band could play at his bar."

"The band?" Quinn went from so excited to slightly annoyed.

"Uh-huh," he confirmed, not detecting her tone. Then he continued on in a rush of enthusiasm. "I haven't asked anyone yet, you're the first. But I figure, you and me, touring the city by day, hanging out at night. The guys and I would play a show or two. Cool right?"

Quinn went back to being excited. For about five seconds. Then reality hit. "It does sound cool, really. But there's no way my parents would let me go with you. And I can't really do the bar nightlife yet…"

Josh mentally smacked himself. "Shit, of course. Sorry."

"But it sounds like a great opportunity for you, and I hope you'll have a good spring break. I'll talk to you later." Quinn was desperate to hang up the phone before she got too upset. She was not going to cry over this little thing. She was still Quinn Fabray.

"Wait!" Josh exclaimed before she could hang up. "Come over this weekend. Seriously. I wanna see you."

Quinn agreed to meet up with Josh that Saturday.

They were both relieved.

…

Quinn sat next to Finn at lunch on Friday. "Hey," she started. "Does your offer to take me to Prom still stand?"

"Josh didn't want to go?" Finn asked, not looking up from the fries on his tray.

"He and I decided it would make more sense if you and I go to Prom together, and he and I will plan to do things together that don't involve high school activities," Quinn said simply. But she could see Finn was not appeased. She put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry if I hurt you by not saying 'yes' right away. I'm new to this open relationship thing, and I'm not really sure how to balance it. But I won't keep asking Josh for permission to do things with you, ok? I'll just make my own decisions and do what I want. That's the whole point of this arrangement."

"You're not exactly telling the truth," Finn said bluntly.

"What?" Quinn blinked.

"You're acting like you didn't want Josh to take you instead. I may not be smart, but I'm not stupid, Quinn."

"I-I'm sorry, Finn. I didn't mean to imply anything. I've honestly been looking forward to the two of us going to Prom together since we first started high school. Even before we started dating, I wanted it to me you and me at Prom." It was the truth. "You're right though. I've gotten caught up in things with Josh too, and I did consider that if he wanted to go to Prom, then I'd have to make a decision. But I don't have to make that decision. I choose you to be my date to Prom, if you'll still have me…"

"Quinn, what's going on with us? You say that you and I are dating too, but you're always making plans with Josh and you and I haven't done anything together unless it's related to glee or sports. And now I get the school-related stuff probably because Josh doesn't want to do high school things since he's in _college_. If you're not interested in me anymore, just say it. Please put me out of my misery instead of keeping me around for stuff Josh won't do with you!"

"Finn, I…" Quinn started but she wasn't sure what to say.

"If you want to date me, great. Then _actually date me_. If you just want to be with Josh, then don't pretend we're dating too." He sighed, calming down. "Just think about what you want Quinn, and let me know."

…

Over the weekend, Finn had tried to meet up with Quinn so he could talk to her about his concerns and she could tell him her feelings. He still felt weird about sharing her with Josh. It wouldn't be so bad if she actually seemed like she wanted to be around him. It seemed like Quinn was avoiding him or the conversation.

She was.

They never saw each other that weekend. Finn had sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that wouldn't go away.

…

Quinn, on the other hand, was spending her weekend with Josh before his Spring Break. The college always had their break a week before the high school for some reason, so it turned out there were multiple things working to keep them from spending Spring Break in New York together anyway.

"If you can work it out with your parents, maybe we could still go to NYU over summer break," Josh suggested.

"Well," Quinn said with regret, "that would be great except that I have to go to cheerleading camp this summer."

"Of course you do," he sighed.

"You seem upset."

"Well, yeah," Josh grumbled. "But maybe the thought of you at cheerleading camp might help perk me up…" he said suggestively. "Especially if I could get a glimpse of you in a little skirt to tide me over," he grinned.

Quinn blushed and shoved him playfully.

"What? Winter sucks. So many layers," he joked, pulling at the collar of his sweater.

"Let me help you with that," Quinn said, feeling bold. She reached to pull his sweater over his head.

Josh laughed, a bit taken aback. He helped her finish the job, and he was sitting in his t-shirt and jeans. "I actually meant that _you're_ wearing too many layers!"

Quinn batted her eyelashes at him, "Who me?" She mimicked his gesture by pulling on her own collar.

This girl was a pro. "Damn, Quinn. Do you know what you're doing to me here?"

"I have an idea," she whispered in his ear, running her hand up his thigh as she leaned into him. Her hand landed at its target destination. She felt a rush of excitement, which intensified when his breath hitched and he gripped her waist to pull her on top of him for a full make out session.

…

"Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked when Quinn said she had to leave.

Quinn looked at him with confusion since this was the start of his break week. "You won't be leaving for New York?"

"The plans aren't definite, babe. It's just an idea. And I definitely want to see you as much as I can, just in case I go away for a week."

Quinn smiled.

…

Josh didn't go to New York for Spring Break.

…

Monday morning, Will had a feeling it was not going to be a good day. First, Sue called him out in the parking lot on the way into school.

"Schuester!" she called.

"Yes, Sue," Will turned around to face her slowly, not suppressing the eye roll.

"I heard you have some discontent in your ranks over Spring Break."

Will nodded and sighed, "Yes, I was informed that even _you_ don't make the Cheerios miss Spring Break, so I'm not forcing my kids to stay either."

"Wrong move, Schuester."

"Funny, I thought you'd approve of me following your example," he said bitingly.

"My example?! You think that's following my example?" cried Sue. "What have I told you about discipline, Will?"

He regarded her blankly.

"It's the same thing I say about competition, about terror…" she prodded.

"Mother's milk, makes their bones grow," Will muttered.

"That's right," she smiled as she clapped him on the shoulder. "I give my Cheerios discipline every day. They need a rest to let that sink in so their bones don't break. You never discipline those glee losers. This is your opportunity, Buddy!" Sue's eyes flashed as she slapped his shoulder again, harder this time.

"Well, thanks, Sue, for that advice. But it's already been decided that only the kids who aren't going on spring vacation will put in some optional rehearsal time. I doubt Figgins would let me _require_ they miss Spring Break." Will was really ready for the conversation to end.

"Oh, who cares about Figgins," Sue waved her hand dismissively. "You really dropped the ball on this one, Will," she shook her head disparagingly. "Too bad. Not that you'd even _place_ at Nationals anyway. You can just leave that to me and the Cheerios," she said as she walked away.

…

Finn decided Rachel was right about songs being helpful to express emotions. He remembered Kurt had told him a similar thing and it had worked…one of the two times. And certainly the words someone else had written would do a better job than he could have done on his own. So the first thing he did in glee on Monday was ask to perform a song.

Will assumed that Finn was volunteering an idea for Nationals and so he agreed.

"This is called 'Breakeven' by The Script," Finn announced before playing the music. Rachel recognized the song and was afraid that this meant that things didn't go well between Finn and Quinn.

Finn took a deep breath and prepared to sing his heart out.

_I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing  
Just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in  
'Cause I got time while she got freedom  
'Cause when a heart breaks no it don't break even_

Her best days will be some of my worst  
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first  
While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping  
'Cause when a heart breaks no it don't break even... even... no

What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?  
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok?  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,  
I'm falling to pieces

They say bad things happen for a reason  
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding  
'Cause she's moved on while I'm still grieving  
And when a heart breaks no it don't break even… even... no

What am I gonna to do when the best part of me was always you?  
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok?  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,  
I'm falling to pieces  
(One's still in love while the other one's leaving)  
I'm falling to pieces  
('Cause when a heart breaks no it don't break even)

Oh you got his heart and my heart and none of the pain  
You took your suitcase, I took the blame.  
Now I'm try'na make sense of what little remains  
Oh, 'cause you left me with no love and no love to my name.

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing  
Just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in  
'Cause I got time while she got freedom  
'Cause when a heart breaks no it don't break…  
No it don't break…  
No it don't break even… no  


Quinn bit her lip and looked at Finn with sad eyes. She never meant to hurt him so much. She felt so guilty for not calling him back over the weekend. Could she even make this right?

_  
What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you?  
And what am I suppose to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok?  
I'm falling to pieces yeah  
I'm falling to pieces yeah_

_I'm falling to pieces  
(One's still in love while the other one's leaving)  
I'm falling to pieces  
('Cause when a heart breaks no it don't break even)_

Oh it don't break even no  
Oh it don't break even no  
Oh it don't break even no

"Ok, I'm confused. So, was that song about Quinn or Rachel?" Mercedes asked when Finn finished. She seriously didn't know.

Rachel started blinking, staring stupidly at Mercedes, then at Finn.

"It's about Quinn, obviously," said Finn, also shocked at the question.

"What?" asked Mercedes. "It's not a dumb question! You're singing about a girl who's found a man who'll put her first and all that. Sounds like Rachel and Puck to me. Quinn's not even dating anyone."

"Yeah she is!" Finn exclaimed. "She's dating a college douchebag from Puck's…" Finn was interrupted by Rachel's squeak and Mr. Schue's disapproval of the word "douchebag".

Rachel's squeak was released because Finn was about to ruin the secret of Puck's band. Rachel knew if Mr. Schue found out, he'd probably 'be forced to' disqualify them from competition since Puck's performance for profit would likely fall under the same rules that almost prevented them from competing in Sectionals due to the mattress incident.

Finn took a seat, not even bothering to ask Mr. Schue if the song would be good for Nationals.

The admiration in Mr. Schue's eyes when Finn suggested a song disappeared when he realized it was a ploy.

Will let the students finish their little discussion until he had to stop Finn for saying 'douchebag'. "Why do I get the feeling that sometimes you students use glee club as an excuse to serenade each other?"

He was greeted by blank stares because, come on, captain obvious.

Will went on, "Anyway, I have selected a song of my own, so we'll just go with that since we don't have time to waste. There won't be too much to learn vocally, and we'll do some flashy choreography to add some pizzazz to our finale!"

"_Pizzazz_, really, Mr. Schue?" Puck left the comment about gayness unspoken. He counted it as a sign of personal growth.

Rachel took note of it too.

Will just rolled his eyes. "Actually, I think you'll like this one," he said simply. "Let's get to work!"

Sometimes Will wondered if Sue Sylvester had a point about dealing with kids.

…

After rehearsal, Quinn asked Finn to talk to her. "That was a really beautiful and sad song you sang, Finn. I'm not trying to break your heart, you know? I'm trying to figure things out and just trying to keep things from getting too complicated and heavy. Does that make sense?"

"Maybe," said Finn. "But I think what has happened is even more complicated than when two people just date each other."

Quinn nodded. He was right in many ways. But Quinn wasn't ready to invest fully in either Josh or Finn. "I see your point," Quinn said. "I don't want to stop seeing Josh, but I do want to date you, and not just have you in my pocket as a Prom date. So do you think you still want to try this open relationship with me?"

Finn sighed and looked at her sadly. "Rachel said I need to decide if I can be happy sharing you with Josh. Right now I'm not happy about it. I'm going to need to think about it, Quinn. Maybe we can go on a date this weekend and see how we feel? Say, Saturday?" Since it was Monday, that gave Finn time to prepare.

Quinn smiled, "Yes, I'd like that."

…

New Directions spent the week before Spring Break practicing their new song and dance routines.

The tension between Finn and Quinn was obvious, but Quinn was hopeful that they could smooth things over on their date that weekend.

On the last day before Spring Break, Mr. Schue announced that they were going to try to get enough hotel rooms so they could be two to a room instead of four to a room in Orlando. The guys were relieved that they might not have to share a bed with another dude. Because nobody wanted to be the big spoon (or the little spoon) with another guy (except Kurt and Alex). He told them to start thinking about their roommate situations for both possibilities.

Mr. Schue thanked them for being there and said that rehearsals over the break would be informal and they could set the schedule themselves. He was the first one out the door as some of the kids said their farewells before the break.

So many of the gleeks were going out of town for Spring Break. Santana and Brittany were going to Mexico with the Lopez family. Mercedes was going with her dad and family to a dental convention in San Diego. Alex and his brother were off to visit family and friends at their old school.

Spring Break rehearsals for New Directions included Finn, Rachel, Puck, Quinn, Tina, Artie, Kurt, and the sophomore twins Braden and Jason; and they stayed behind to plan the next rehearsal time.

Puck pulled Finn aside, but didn't bother to lower his voice. "Finn, man, when we get our hotel rooms in Florida, you know it's gonna be me with Berry, so you're gonna have to make up with Quinn by then."

"Thanks for that subtle suggestion, Puck," huffed Quinn.

"Well, it's just that I can't stand the thought of having a long weekend in a hotel without using it to its _full potential_."

This time is was Rachel who huffed at him. "Noah Puckerman!"

"C'mon, everyone already knows we're having sex. It's _me_, and we've been together for _months_. Plus your crew from New Year's Eve already knows when your first time was." As soon as he said it, he saw the embarrassment flush Rachel's skin red, he knew he made a mistake.

"I can't believe you just said that and completely humiliated me!"

"I humiliated you by outing that you have sex with your hot piece of ass boyfriend?!"

"I don't feel that everyone needs to be made so blatantly aware of our sex life, including when I lost my virginity," Rachel said lowly through clenched teeth.

Puck winced. Oh yeah, that. "But most of them already knew. 'Cause you told them."

"Not everyone knew," said Finn, looking like the wind had been knocked out of him. "And Rachel's right, you don't need to bring it up in front of everyone." Finn figured that those two were having sex, but he tried not to think about it. _Ever_.

Rachel would have thanked Finn for agreeing with her, but at the moment she was too mortified to look at him.

"Whatever, dude," Puck told Finn. "Ok, I'm sorry, fellow glee club members, for offending your delicate sensibilities with my crude talk about sex," he announced mockingly. Then he turned to Rachel. "But I'm seriously sorry if I embarrassed you in any way. I didn't mean to and I didn't think about it as something to be embarrassed about."

Rachel sighed. At least he listened to her and seemed to realize why she was embarrassed. She certainly wasn't embarrassed that he was her partner. And she recognized that a lot of people did know or at least assumed that they were sexually active. She could barely fathom how she had gone from Rachel Berry at the beginning of her junior year to the version of herself standing before her peers now.

"Thank you, Noah. I accept your apology. I'm sorry that I am not as socially forward as you are and that I prefer to keep many things private. I will try not to be so…uptight as you might say."

"Sounds like a plan, Berry," Puck shrugged. "I'm trying to rub off on you a little," he grinned at Rachel.

"Gross, Puck!" interjected Tina, throwing a piece of paper at him.

Puck turned around and waggled his eyebrows at her as he threw the paper wad back. "That's not what I meant, gutter-girl, but I guess I try to do that too," he said, giving Rachel the raised eyebrows.

"Eww, Noah! That's completely inappropriate."

"That's not what you said last night," he quipped.

Rachel elbowed him in the gut. Hard. "Jerk!"

Puck doubled over, "Berry, I think that's gonna bruise!"

Quinn walked over to Rachel, rolling her eyes at Puck. "I think we need a girls' night!"

Rachel smiled and nodded excitedly.

"I'm in!" said Kurt. Quinn looked surprised but smiled.

"Tina, are you in?" Quinn asked. Now Tina looked surprised, but she readily agreed.

Puck and Finn watched as the girls (and Kurt) started planning their night as they walked out of the music room.

"Uh, you wanna go to my house and play Halo or something?" Finn asked, not looking at Puck.

"Yeah, man," said Puck, still watching the girls the leave.

…

The girls met back up for a sleepover at Kurt's. Quinn found herself opening up about her situation with Finn and Josh. It was a relief to talk about it.

"Oh girls, I have the best idea!" said Kurt, rubbing his hands together mischievously. "Let's make a music video! Remember how fun "Single Ladies" was, Tina? We need to do something for Quinn, and I know the perfect song for her independent spirit!

The girls were skeptical at first, but they humored Kurt by putting on crazy makeup out of Tina's supply for a Quinn-centered video of La Roux's "Bulletproof". Rachel wasn't used to singing backup for her videos, and she wasn't sure what to do when the weird electronic music came on, but she started bouncing around with the others and having a really good time.

_Been there, done that, messed around  
I'm having fun don't put me down  
I'll never let you sweep me off my feet  
I won't let you in again, the messages I've tried to send,  
My information's just not going in  
Burnin' bridges shore to shore, I'll break away from something more,  
I'm not turned on to love until it's cheap.  
Been there, done that, messed around  
I'm having fun don't put me down  
I'll never let you sweep me off my feet._

This time baby I'll be bulletproof  
This time baby I'll be bulletproof

I won't let you turn around,  
And tell me now I'm much too proud,  
To walk away from something when it's dead,  
Do do do your dirty words come out to play when you are hurt?  
There's certain things that should be left unsaid  
Tick tick tick on the watch and life's too short for me to stop  
Oh baby, your time is running out  
I won't let you turn around  
And tell me now I'm much too proud  
All you do is fill me up with doubt

This time baby I'll be bulletproof  
This time baby I'll be bulletproof  
This time baby I'll be bulletproof  
This time baby I'll be bulletproof

This time baby I'll be bulletproof  
This time baby I'll be bulletproof …  


They had so much fun dancing around to the electronic beat and singing to the camera and each other. By the end, they dissolved into giggles. They called it "Girl Power" and posted it on Rachel's page. It was a great girls' night. None of them could really believe the company they had chosen and how much fun they were having together.

Rachel's conversation with him forgotten, they never thought that Finn would actually watch the video.

He did.

…

After she got home from Kurt's on Saturday, Rachel called Puck to "hang out and do some SAT prep". Rachel told him she had some discussion with her dads earlier, but he was still a little surprised when he was allowed to go straight up to Rachel's room, no questions asked. When he arrived, Rachel was laying out items for the trip to Orlando, including a little bikini.

"Is that really what you're planning to wear, Berry?"

"Yes, it's a bathing suit. I assume that even though we won't be at the beach, the hotel will have a pool."

Puck gave her a look that said, 'duh' for stating the obvious. "I see that it's a bathing suit. I'm just not sure I want everyone else to see the kinda heat you're packin', you know?"

"Do you think it's funny that I'm embarrassed by you talking about us having sex, which you do freely and I find socially inappropriate, while you're worried about me walking around in a bathing suit, which is perfectly socially acceptable?"

"No. It's not funny at all."

"Don't you want to show me off? I know I'm putting feminism back light-years when I say this, but I want to be able to hold my own among the other girls." She thought of the Cheerios and the sophomore volleyball players and flinched a little as she looked down at her comparatively small chest.

Puck didn't notice. He was too focused on the stabbing in his gut when he thought about guys looking at Rachel in that little scrap of material she had laid out on her bed. "Yeah, I'm not going to ask you to buy a new suit or anything. Just for comparison, do you have another bathing suit?" He really hoped she did. He usually loved spring and summer, and he really loved seeing Rachel in her little skirts. But for some strange reason he felt equal parts anticipation and dread for the reappearance of skirts in her school wardrobe.

"Well, I don't really own a one piece, if that's what you want to see. I find that one pieces aren't very flattering to my chest size," she said quickly. "It's just a bathing suit." She shrugged casually, staring down at her bikini on the bed with a frown.

This time Puck recognized her anxiety about her appearance. He did the first thing that came to mind, he walked up behind her and snaked one hand around to grab her boob. "Your boobs are perfect, you know." His other hand moved to her hip as he leaned to whisper in her ear. "You're just so fuckin' hot, baby. I'm not sure I'm ready for the whole world to know what I know."

"They won't. No one else will know what you know," she breathed.

"Better not," Puck growled. He decided that he needed to give attention to the parts of her body she seemed to be self-conscious about—to rid her of her doubts. Call him a giver. He turned her toward him and began unbuttoning her little white shirt.

Rachel gasped, feeling the loss of his hand from her breast, but anxious for the removal of the cotton fabric that prevented direct contact. She stood there for a moment unmoving, arms at her sides, but when he opened her shirt and grinned appreciatively at her, she came to life and pulled her shirt all the way off. Puck pushed the now-topless Rachel gently onto her bed where he could appreciate her boobs fully with his hands, his mouth.

"My dads are home," she whimpered, enjoying the feeling and regretting that she'd have to put a stop to it.

"Then we'll have to be really quiet," Puck smirked.

…

**A.N.** Mini-mature scenes are for **Sabregirlus18** who was looking for one last time. Though I didn't go into detail, Puck actually listening to Rachel in this chapter is for **fresch **and** Alimard**. The hints of Finn and Quinn talking about their feelings, with more to come on their date are for **joker to the thief**. The mention of the Puck's band position violating choir competition rules resulted from a review by **Johnny Gleek**.

Had to throw in a little Sue before I end the story, so I hope that didn't throw you off. This chapter was so hard to write. I suppose it's because I'm trying to tie things up and make the last few chapters work together. Hope you like how it's wrapping up! Let me know!

**Next:** On to Orlando for Nationals and fun in the sun, with a look into the gleeks' summer plans. Prom will occur in a chapter to follow, and if I can't fit in everything up to the end, then there might be one chapter after Prom, but ideally everything will wrap up in two more chapters instead of three.


	24. Like Romeo and Juliet

**A.N.** Sorry for the long wait! Really busy at work. Lots of people to thank; some will come at the end to not give things away. The lovely **chrpangel** suggested "Calling You" (acoustic version) by Blue October and "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers. Also featured: "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney, and Puck's band plays "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)" by Bob Schneider. There will be lots of songs from reader suggestions in the next chapter, which should be the last chapter. Thanks to **LizzayMartini** who unknowingly inspired me to just hurry up and post this.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee or any songs or movies or anything familiar. Summer camps mentioned are based on actual camps in NY.

...

**March, Junior Year**

The third thing Rachel did after she opened Saturday's mail was call Noah. The first two things involved getting congratulations from her dads and planning how they would celebrate.

"Noah, I just got my acceptance to both programs in New York this summer!" she squealed into the phone. She had applied for the two performing arts programs last summer, before she started dating him, but as the time to receive the decision approached, she had described the programs (in detail), so Puck knew what this was about.

"Wow, that's really great, babe. I'm really happy for you." He was, right? But he was also sorry for himself that she'd be gone over the summer. "I knew you'd get in. So which one are you choosing?"

"I don't have to choose! The acting camp starts in June, then there are a few days before the Broadway camp starts. I could just stay there and be a tourist during the break, or I could come home to refresh before I go back! But my dads agreed that I'm going to both!"

"Oh."

"It's only four weeks, Noah," she said into the phone, sensing his distress. "That's only about one-third of the summer."

"One-third is a big piece of the pie, Berry."

Rachel smiled to realize that Noah probably did think about fractions in terms of pieces of pie, like how they learned them in elementary school. It was a helpful tool, really.

"True, but the bigger part of the pie, two-thirds of the pie, I'll be here in Lima, and able to spend time all my spare time with you."

"When I'm not at football practice or cleaning pools."

"Exactly. You'll have other things to keep you busy too."

"Not fun things. I'd rather be busy with you." Ever since last summer, cleaning pools really meant cleaning pools. And _not cleaning pools_ didn't hold as much appeal any more now that he had Rachel. _Not cleaning pools_ just felt empty. He didn't have to feel like a dirty piece of meat who serviced desperate housewives so they could both get off. It felt good while it had lasted, no fucking doubt, and the way they had wanted him made him feel like a stud; but he had that covered now.

"Well, we'll just have to make the most of our time together, and think about each other all the time when we're apart," Rachel said simply. "Why don't you come over tonight? My dads are going to try to actually cook tonight to celebrate. And if they fail miserably, we'll pick up dinner from Mario's."

"I don't know if I should. Maybe it should just be you and your dads."

"No, I want to celebrate with you too! With all of the most important men in my life!" And with a little more begging and pouting (he could tell the lip was sticking out even through the phone), Rachel got Puck to agree to come over for dinner Saturday night.

...

Saturday night was date night for Finn and Quinn. Both parties were anxious; a feeling that was a mixture of (good) excitement and (bad) nervousness. Finn thought he had a pretty good plan in place for their date, but he wasn't too sure if Quinn would like it as much as he hoped. He had no idea what she did on her dates with Josh, and he tried not to think about it. That was probably the only way he could date Quinn in this open relationship thing: pretend that she wasn't dating someone else too. Step one of the plan seemed to go over well, as Quinn smiled brightly when he arrived at her doorstep with a bouquet of flowers. They left after she put them in water and headed to the restaurant where they'd had their first "fancy date" as they had always called it, at Mario's.

"I think I'm going to order the same thing I got the first time we came here," Finn said enthusiastically. "Do you remember that?"

Quinn smiled warmly. "Of course I do. We decided to get one of their gourmet pizzas but we couldn't agree on toppings. You wanted meat and I wanted veggies."

Finn smiled back. "Yeah, that pepperoni here was the best. I think it's imported! And I never thought I'd care about different mushrooms, but ones they have here are awesome!"

"They're portabella," Quinn said with a smile. "Why don't we order what we did the first time, then? That sounds really good."

"Great!"

As they waited for their pizza with split toppings on each half, Quinn couldn't help but think that she didn't know what kind of toppings Josh liked on his pizza. But that was the last time she thought about Josh during her date with Finn. Besides, she was startled out of her brief thought of Josh by Rachel Berry's voice.

"Quinn? Finn? Hi, you two!" Rachel had a large bag from Mario's in her arms, but she was making her way towards their table. "I don't want to bother you, I just noticed you here when I came to pick up dinner. I thought I should say hello." If this had been last year and Rachel had spotted Finn and Quinn on a date a Mario's, she would have bolted out of there. In fact, it had happened once and she had to go back inside the restaurant because she had left the food. A lot had changed since then.

"Hi, Rach," Finn grinned.

"Nice to see you, Rachel," Quinn smiled.

"Well, I hope you have a lovely dinner. See you at school!" Rachel left feeling that all was right with the world. Finn and Quinn were on a date. She felt like it wasn't too much of a stretch to say that they were all friends now. And she was going home for a dinner with her three favorite men to celebrate another milestone in _Rachel Berry's plan to take Broadway by storm_. Rachel couldn't suppress her satisfied smile.

...

Quinn and Finn had a comfortable dinner talking about the good times they had shared in the past, but it was time to pay and leave. Quinn felt a little sad that the date would be ending already. But Finn wasn't ready for the date to end either.

"So I was thinking we could have the best of both worlds on this date. We just went out to eat, so then I was thinking we could stay in and watch a movie at my house. Are you up for that?"

"That sounds great, Finn," Quinn smiled.

When they got to Finn's house, Quinn asked where his mom was.

"She's on a date with Kurt's dad," he mumbled.

"Oh! Do you want to talk about it?" Quinn asked. She knew that Kurt's plan to get Finn's mom to date his dad made Finn uncomfortable for multiple reasons.

"No," Finn shook his head. "Let's just watch a movie. We could do a double feature if you want. I recorded _Broken Bridges _from CMT and _A Walk to Remember _from ABC family because I remembered you liked them."

Quinn's heart melted a little. He must have planned that far in advance because neither of those movies had been on tv recently as far as she knew. This was confirmed when he was scrolling through his dvr and she saw the recording dates were months ago. "I'm sorry I made you watch those every time they were on when we were studying together," Quinn said, already a little choked up at the thoughtful gesture.

Finn shrugged. "I didn't mind. I just liked being with you and watching how into them you got. That's why they're on my dvr." Then he added pointedly, "It's just a couple of movies. I'm not trying to sweep you off of your feet." He remembered the song "Bulletproof" he'd found posted on Rachel's myspace that was largely sung by Quinn.

Her eyes widened. Had he watched their video? She felt herself blush. "Well, I do appreciate how considerate you are, Finn." They settled in on the couch to watch the movies, but Quinn started feeling apprehensive, knowing how emotional both movies make her feel—even though she's seen them multiple times.

"Actually, Finn, I'm a little concerned that these may not be good date movies. They always make me cry."

"They do? But you already know what happens. I don't remember you crying last time," he looked at her puzzled.

"That's probably because the last time we ended up making out."

"Oh, that's right," Finn grinned.

"I'm assuming this time we'll at least watch one movie all the way through, since we're just getting the hang of dating each other again, right? So I don't think I should cry in front of you and look like a complete mess."

Finn smiled softly. "You wouldn't look like a mess. You're beautiful when you cry. Your eyes get even greener somehow. I don't really understand it, and it's not that I want you to cry. And it's not that your eyes don't look beautiful all the time, 'cause they do..."

Quinn smiled at his rambling. She felt tears welling up already. "Just shut up and kiss me, Finn."

"Yeah, ok," he shrugged and grinned widely. "I can do that." He gently cupped her face with one hand and wiped a stray tear with his thumb. His touch felt warm and safe. His lips met hers tenderly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately in return.

...

About an hour later the couple was in serious make-out-mode on the couch when the front door opened, and Finn's mom walked in on them.

Finn practically jumped a foot in the air to extract himself from on top of Quinn and he tried to appear as though he had been on the opposite side of the couch the whole time. "Oh, Mrs. Hudson!" Quinn exclaimed, recovering. "How was your date?"

"Not as good as yours from the looks of it."

"Thank God," Finn mumbled.

"Well, I should be going," Quinn said, standing up from her spot on the sofa.

"Yes, that seems best," said Mrs. Hudson with a tight smile.

Finn walked Quinn to the door. "Thanks for tonight, Quinn," he smiled sheepishly.

"You're welcome, and thank you, Finn," Quinn smiled. "But, Finn, you drove me here. I still need a ride home."

"Oh, yeah! Sorry! Mom, I'll be right back!" Finn called into the house as he stepped out the door to take Quinn home.

Quinn sighed. "Your mom hates me!"

"Nah," Finn lied. It was a white lie and the truth wouldn't help, so Finn didn't feel too bad about it. "She's just…concerned. She just doesn't want me to get you pregnant, I'm sure."

Quinn shook her head and sighed again. He didn't have to add "for real" to his statement for Quinn to realize what he was thinking and what his mom probably thought. It made her heart ache a little. But she also felt a bit of hope in the middle of the hollowness. "Well, up until the end, and the crying part, I had a really good time with you tonight, Finn."

"Yeah, me too. Sorry about Mom coming in like that. I should have had us go up to my room, but I don't have the dvr in there, just my xbox."

"Well, we weren't really watching the movie anymore," Quinn smiled slyly.

Finn chuckled. "Yeah, I'll know better next time."

Next time! Quinn was surprisingly excited about the prospect. Finn walked her to her door and gave her a long kiss goodnight. He was the perfect combination of familiar, sweet, and yet still exciting.

...

Quinn fell asleep listening to her _A Walk To Remember_ soundtrack on repeat that night.

...

For some reason, now that Quinn actually went on a date with Finn, she felt compelled to try to divide her time equally between Finn and Josh. It just seemed fair. But it was also extra work that she hadn't anticipated. And when Quinn arrived to hang out with Josh on Sunday afternoon, she had a few questions for him. She couldn't help but compare her date with Finn to how she spends her time with Josh: sitting on the dingy couch in his garage during his band practice; sitting on the dingy couch in his living room making out; or sitting on the dingy bed in his bedroom making out.

"So I've noticed we don't really go out on dates since our first date. Why don't you ever take me out? Are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

"Are you kidding? You're the hottest girl I've ever seen!" He looked at her incredulously because seriously, how could she possibly think that he would be ashamed of her? "I'm just a poor college student, you know? Staying in is easier. And we can have more fun, I think. It's not like I can take you to the bars for dancing and drinks. What's this about? Why would you ask that?"

"Why shouldn't I think you're ashamed? I am younger than you are, so that might embarrass you. We never go out. I haven't met any of your friends."

"Trey and Eddie are my friends."

"You don't have other friends?" she asked skeptically.

"This is Lima. Maybe if we went to OSU in Columbus it would be a different story. But the social scene isn't too big at a commuter college, Quinn. Seriously, are you upset about something? I don't get it."

Quinn calmed down. "No. I'm not upset. Just thinking about things. I'm thinking that dating two people is too hard and that I need to pick."

"Oh," he said quietly. "Well, pick," he shrugged. Quinn's face fell at his casual attitude. She was expecting more of a fight for her. But then he looked up at her, blue eyes shining brightly, "It's simple. Pick me," he grinned.

Quinn couldn't help but smile widely back at him. "I just had a great idea! Since I already agreed to go to Prom with Finn, you can just show up too. Then maybe I'll have an epiphany and be able to choose!" She looked at him excitedly. She still wanted to see him in a tux.

"Like the sky will open up and light will come shining down on your true Prom date?" he joked.

"It's silly I know," Quinn said softly. She was coming to her senses already. It was a juvenile idea, and she couldn't believe she'd said it out loud.

"Yeah, I don't think it works that way." But Josh felt bad that Quinn seemed so conflicted. "Would it help if I told you I'm not dating anyone else?" It was the first thing that came to mind, but the look on Quinn's face made him regret saying it.

"Not really," she sighed. "It just makes me feel worse about the fact that I'm dating two guys."

"Hey, don't worry. Lots of people do that. And I'll take what I can get," Josh smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked for awhile.

...

Even though Rachel's summer camp plans were months away, her dads were so thrilled that they planned a shopping trip with her on Sunday.

So Puck had all day to chill at home with his kid sister and wallow in his lameness for dreading those weeks that she'd be away. He was a tool. He was such a tool that he found a song to sing to Rachel about his lameness. And to add to his lame tool-ness, he realized the song would work best if he could convince Finn to sing it with him. _Finn_. _A duet with Finn directed to Rachel_. Puck knew there was something seriously wrong with him, but he couldn't help it. And damn it, he knew enough about music and everyone's voices to know that the baritenor part was perfect for Finn's range.

He cursed himself when he asked Finn if he wanted to hang out.

He cursed himself when he told Finn how bummed he was that Rachel was going to New York over the summer.

He cursed himself when he asked Finn if he wanted to sing a song with him to Rachel.

He cursed Finn when he agreed to do it.

"Damn it, dude, this is gonna be so gay."

"Yeah," Finn nodded. "Rachel will love it."

"Yeah, thanks, man."

...

Rachel was always early for glee, so that wasn't a problem. The problem was working up the balls to actually cut off his balls and do the damn song. "Fuck, we're really doing this, aren't we?" Puck asked Finn.

Finn looked at him like he was crazy, because it's not like this was Finn's idea at all. "Uh, I'll do it if you wanna do it. But if you don't wanna do it, tell me now. I kinda want to get this over with before too many people show up, you know?"

"Good point. Let's do this shit."

"Hi guys!" Rachel said brightly when she saw Finn and Puck walk into the room. Then she looked at them puzzled when Finn set up two chairs at the front of the room and Puck pulled out the guitar. "What in the world?"

Puck started singing and playing the guitar, while Finn took the high harmonies of "Calling You" by Blue October.

_There's something that I can't quite explain  
I'm so in love with you  
You'll never take that away  
And if I've said it a hundred times before  
Expect a thousand more  
You'll never take that away_

_Well expect me to be  
Calling you to see  
If you're ok when I'm not around  
Asking "do you love me?"  
I love the way you make it sound  
Calling you to see  
Do I try too hard to make you smile?  
To make us smile  
_

Of course, other gleeks came wandering into the music room during their little performance. But the guys just shrugged and kept going. Finn saw Quinn come in and look at Rachel quizzically as she sat down next to her. From that point on, he couldn't take his eyes off of Quinn.

_  
I will keep calling you to see  
If you're sleeping, are you dreaming  
If you're dreaming, are you dreaming of me  
I can't believe you actually picked me  
_

When Rachel looked at him like that, Puck felt…well, like what he was singing about…

_  
I thought that the world had lost its way  
It's so hard sometimes  
Then I fell in love with you  
Then came you  
And you took that away  
It's not so difficult  
The world is not so difficult  
You take away the old  
Show me the new  
And I feel like I can fly when I stand next to you  
So while I'm on this phone  
A hundred miles from home  
I'll take the words you gave me and send them back to you  
_

When Noah looked at her like that, she knew that he was special…that they had something so special.

_  
I only want to see  
If you're ok when I'm not around  
Asking "do you love me?"  
I love the way you make it sound  
Calling you to see  
Do I try too hard to make you smile?  
To make us smile  
_

_I will keep calling you to see  
If you're sleeping, are you dreaming  
If you're dreaming, are you dreaming of me  
I can't believe you actually picked me…_

...

They finished the song, and Puck sat his guitar down and asked, "Well, what did you think?"

Rachel threw herself into Puck's arms. She heard Mercedes give a little huff, "That song sounds like something a stalker would sing."

"You call it stalking, I call it love," said Rachel dreamily as she hugged Noah.

"You would," snarked Kurt. "You're a match made in stalker-heaven."

The pair in question narrowed their eyes and crossed their arms over their chests. The room erupted in laughter.

"Hey, it's just about keeping in touch over the summer while Rachel's in New York for her summer program. No need to get your panties in a twist." Puck addressed the room of laughing students, but his eyes met Kurt's.

Kurt huffed, then softened a bit. "Well, I was about to say…now that I'm over the initial 'ick factor' and the shock that the two of you really are still together, your obvious attachment to each other really warms my heart."

"Thank you, Kurt!" exclaimed Rachel,

Quinn and Finn looked at each other sheepishly. They weren't quite there yet, even though Finn had been singing and looking at Quinn the whole time she'd been in the room.

Quinn walked up to Finn and whispered, "You know, I haven't actually picked you yet, Finn. I'm still working it out."

"I know, Puck wanted to do this song for Rachel, and he asked me to take the tenor part," Finn replied. "And I said sure, cause we have a saying, bros before h—those who aren't bros." Finn stopped himself from finishing the phrase in its usual way when he saw the girls in the room start to glare at him. "Anyway, I was helping Puck out, and it's just a song. Besides, the song couldn't be about you and me. We'll both be in Lima this summer, right?"

"Yes, I'll be here, Finn," Quinn smiled at his explanation.

"Well, if you're looking for a song about missing someone over the summer," started Artie, "try this one on." He launched into Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine."

**Artie:** _Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.  
It's not warm when she's away.  
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone  
And she's always gone too long anytime she goes away.  
_

Finn grinned his boyish grin and hit the drum kit, while Puck smiled and began playing along on his guitar.

**Artie:** _Wonder this time where she's gone,  
Wonder if she's gone to stay  
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone  
And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away._

Artie winked at Tina as he played the bass. She felt her heart flutter and she was sure she was blushing.

**Boys:** _And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,  
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,  
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,  
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know_

**Boys:** _Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone,  
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone, only darkness every day.  
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone,  
And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away._

_Anytime she goes away.  
Anytime she goes away.  
Anytime she goes away.  
Anytime she goes away._

As the song was ending, an incredulous teacher walked into the room. "You've got to be kidding me, guys!" Will shouted. "We have Nationals this weekend and instead of singing our newest song while you wait for me, you're in here serenading each other again?"

"Dude, was it that bad?" Puck questioned.

"No, it wasn't _that bad_," Will replied. "And don't address me as 'dude', Puck." Puck put his hands up in surrender. Will continued, "I'm just starting to think that I don't do enough to discipline this group. The Cheerios aren't out of control like you are. I know Vocal Adrenaline wouldn't be _casually hanging out_ in the music room. They're practicing _their routines_. And _that's_ why they'll be better than we are at Nationals!" Will was surprised by the venom in his own voice.

So were the kids. They sat slack-jawed at his outburst. The boys who had been playing instruments slunk back to their seats during his tirade.

Will counted to five and tried to calm down and salvage this rehearsal. "I thought you guys would like 'Live and Let Die'. It's from one of the James Bond movies."

"Yeah, a super old one with the least beloved Bond," Artie pointed out. "None of us were even alive when that movie was made. I don't think you were even alive, Mr. Schue."

Will nodded because Artie was right. The movie was even a little before his time. "But it still makes a nice medley with our other Paul McCartney song that was our previous show closer, and this song gives us a way to go out with a bang on choreography. It's too late to pick something different, and I think we can whip this into shape if we really work at it. So let's get to work, guys."

After rehearsal, Mr. Schue apologized for getting so caught up in competition and forgetting to let the kids have fun. Will left the room in a hurry, a bit embarrassed by his outburst, but also upset that the kids just didn't seem to care very much about Nationals. It wasn't at all how glee club had been when he was a member. Maybe Emma would have some suggestions for him.

The kids slowly gathered their things to leave; still a bit stupefied by Mr. Schue's yelling action. But also as the end of the school year was approaching, they found themselves more interested in spending time together. "So, Rachel, what program are you going to this summer?" asked Tina.

They soon realized that they were going to the same acting program!

"Tina, I must admit that I'm a bit surprised to learn that you're so interested in acting to spend time and money on a summer program," said Rachel carefully.

"Yeah," explained Tina, "Confidence is an important trait for a doctor, which is what my parents want me to be. The camp was a good opportunity to compromise between my interests in the arts and their interests in making me go to some pre-med camp. I could barely get through the dissections in freshman bio, you know? I can't believe my whole family wants me to be a doctor."

"Hey, so does mine!" exclaimed Mike. Tina smiled as Mike offered a high five. "And, get this, Brittany and I applied to the summer dance program at NYU, and we both got in too!" Santana had been leaving the room when she heard this bit of news. She spun on her heel and headed back towards the loitering group.

"So we all, independently, applied and were accepted to the summer performing arts program at NYU?" asked Rachel, stunned.

"Looks like it!" Mike replied. "I tried to get Matt to apply to the dance program too." Mike gave Matt a little shove.

Matt shoved Mike back. "Oh, man, you know moms wouldn't let me. She thinks I should be a doctor or something too and said we can't spend that kind of money for a summer dance camp."

"Dude, what about football camp?" Puck asked. Not that he would have applied to acting camp, or dancing camp, or any of that crap, but he just figured he couldn't do it because of football anyway.

"Oh, that's the beauty of this whole thing. I get to miss the first week of football camp! And I get to hang with my girl," he put his arm around Brittany, pulling her and her chair towards him. Brittany came back with a light golden tan from spring break in Mexico with Santana, and Mike thought she looked so good. "And now I know that Tina C. and Rachel B. will be there too. How sweet!" He smiled at the other two girls.

"Britt, you didn't tell me about this," Santana said as she walked toward the blond.

Brittany shrugged. "I didn't think you'd want to go to dance camp and risk your spot as head Cheerio. Coach would probably kill you."

"That was really sweet of you, Britt. But won't Coach Sylvester be mad at you too?" Santana pointed out.

"No. Coach said…" Brittany's face twisted with effort as she tried to remember. "…she could spare me for two weeks because…I'm usually not all there anyway… But I pick up on the routines fast."

Santana suppressed a smile at Brittany's answer. "Well, I still wish you'd told me. Now I'll be missing you, I mean _the team_ will be missing you, for those two weeks this summer."

Mike rolled his eyes. "You had her for spring break, now I'll get her for a few weeks this summer. Deal with it." Mike grinned at the thought of cockblocking Santanta for the two weeks he'd be with Brittany in New York. Heh. Was there another word for cockblocking when it's keeping one girl from having sex with another girl? But Mike was pulled from his thoughts when he realized Brittany and Santana were leaving the room without him. Santana was playing with Brittany's hair. Mike thought maybe it would be hot if she weren't his competition. "Yo! Hold up, Britt!" he called as he scrambled to catch up with the girls.

"So you're really leaving this summer too, Tina?" Artie asked on their way out the door. "I didn't even know I had a reason to sing that song. Now I'll be thinking about it a lot."

Tina looked into Artie's blue eyes. She couldn't tell if he was joking like he usually did. So she went with a neutral response. "I'll only be away for two weeks."

"I don't know…two weeks without the sun…" he teased, referring to his song. "Maybe you should be my date to Prom to make it up to me." Artie hoped that his subtle joking manner would pay off and Tina would agree to go to Prom with him without even thinking twice. He was finally working up the courage to ask her out, but he wasn't sure how she felt now and didn't want to scare her off.

Tina smiled brightly and nodded rapidly. To be honest, she had expected Artie to ask her to Prom. But he said "date" where she had been expecting to hear an invitation that included "as friends" and that little four-letter word seemed to make a big difference.

...

Puck didn't feel too gay after his little display because Rachel showed him her appreciation as soon as they left the music room, pulling him into the ladies' room forcefully. And she requested a follow-up at her house before her dads got home from work. She couldn't seem to get enough of him and he wasn't complaining. At all. Blow jobs to a guy are like flowers to a girl. Puck was glad that Rachel seemed to know that. Or maybe she just liked it. Either way. No complaints.

...

**Nationals, Junior Year**

Instead of having a regular school day on Thursday, the kids all brought their luggage and met in the parking lot to prepare for the long day on a bus. Nationals required live music, rather than recorded backing tracks, so the band kids were there as well with their luggage. And they had the costumes and shoes for their act. Most of the kids were not looking forward to this day.

Rachel had protested dramatically upon learning that they'd be taking a bus to Florida instead of flying, but Mr. Schue told her the cost of a flight versus the cost of the bus made it no contest for Figgins to decide. "Just be grateful we were able to do two to a hotel room instead of four to a room," Will had reminded. "And if we do well at Nationals, maybe Principal Figgins will find more room in the budget for us for next year. Plus, we'll have to do our part to raise money by hosting more dances and having more bake sales and things. Besides, it's really about a 16 hour drive to Orlando without stops, and the bus does have 'facilities' so we won't have to make too many stops along the way."

The bus ride to Orlando was as bad as they all thought it would be. If anyone says that because it's a charter bus it's comfortable, don't believe them. Everyone mostly dozed in the morning, but the seats were uncomfortable. After they stopped for lunch, Mr. Schue made them do two run-throughs of their act, singing only, but then said they needed to save their voices the rest of trip, so minimal talking and no other singing was allowed. Seriously? The minimal talking and no singing rule was fine by Puck because those were prime reasons to make out.

...

When they finally arrived to their hotel in Orlando, they got their room assignments and dutifully fell into bed. Puck didn't even try to kick Quinn out of her shared room with Rachel. He figured that Schue would be really checking the first night anyway and that he could get away with sneaking into Rachel's room tomorrow—after they were both well rested and had a whole bed to themselves for one night to recover from the cramped seats on the bus.

...

Friday was filled with registration, watching their competition perform, and last minute rehearsals. But the highlight of course was Friday night when the chaperones finally went to bed. Now was the time for Puck to sneak into Rachel's room. Thankfully, Quinn didn't put up a fight and seemed pleased that she was forced to share a room with Finn for the night. Rachel, on the other hand, needed convincing.

"I'm not sure if we should do this the night before our performance…"

"Are you kidding me? You're nervous aren't you? And you really need to be well rested, right?"

Rachel nodded slowly.

"And how do you feel after we do it?" Puck asked, appealing to Rachel's practical side.

"Exhausted!" she exclaimed, catching on.

Puck smirked at her huge smile. "That's right. So now you're on board, huh?"

"It's for the good of the team," she nodded with mock sincerity as she began to lift her shirt.

...

They both slept soundly that night.

...

Quinn knocked on Finn's door and he opened it right away. She had her bag with her change of clothes and other essentials. "Hey," Finn said once she was inside. "Are you ok with this? Puck didn't force you out did he?"

"No, I wanted to come and spend some time with you. Besides, the room has two beds."

"Oh, right," Finn's face fell, but he tried to recover his smile before Quinn noticed.

She noticed.

"Finn, I just want to be clear that I don't want this arrangement to mean that you and I are _sleeping together_ just because Puck and Rachel are. But we could _sleep_ together…I like it when you hold me…" She looked at her feet nervously and then back up at Finn

"Yeah, I like that too, Quinn." He stepped toward her and took her bag from her. She had been standing in the entry holding her bag the whole time. "Ready to get settled in for the night?"

Quinn nodded. She had decided that this time in Florida with Finn would make up for the time she spent with Josh on all of their "dates" at his house. She was really going to try to divide her time evenly until she could decide between her two suitors. And she didn't want to have sex with two different guys at the same time (well, _different times_, she wasn't talking about a threesome—gross), so she wasn't going to have sex with either guy. She really did want the next time she had sex to be about love.

Finn was totally satisfied with the hot make-out session they had before falling asleep together. Well, not totally satisfied—he'd been getting better with his _problem_. But he was feeling pretty good about things with Quinn now that they had two really great "dates" and he still had a few days left in Orlando with her. So he was able to fall asleep that night instead of staying awake with blue balls or a racing mind.

...

New Directions performed during the Saturday morning session. They nailed the routines, closing with their new song, Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" immediately following "Maybe I'm Amazed".**  
**

**Rachel:**_ When you were young and your heart was an open book,  
_**Finn:**_ You used to say live and let live,  
_**Girls:**_ (You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)  
_**Artie:**_ But if this ever-changing world in which we live in  
Makes you give in and cry,  
Say live and let die!  
_

**Boys:**_ Live and let die,  
Live and let die,  
Live and let die._

(Dance break! James Bond style!)

**Mercedes: **_What does it matter to ya?  
When you've got a job to do you gotta do it well,  
You gotta give the other fella hell!_

**Finn:**_ You used to say live and let live,  
_**Girls:**_ (You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)  
_**Mercedes and Artie:**_ But if this ever-changing world in which we live in  
Makes you give in and cry,  
Say live and let die!_

_  
_**All:**_ Live and let die,  
Live and let die,  
Live and let die._

(Dance finale!)

...

"I must say, we were fabulous!" breathed Kurt. "You, Miss Mercedes, killed your solos!"

"Thanks, Kurt!" Mercedes replied. "You owned 'Defying Gravity'! You too, Rachel! Everyone did awesome!" She was enjoying the post-performance adrenaline rush.

The kids all felt pretty good about their performances, and Mr. Schue gave them high praises.

Vocal Adrenaline rocked as usual, as did other choirs they saw. There was nothing left to do but enjoy their time in Orlando and wait for the results on Sunday.

This time Rachel didn't need any convincing from Puck. She was ready to unwind and relax (and _not relax_) alone together.

A contented sigh escaped her as she snuggled into his arms. "I love falling asleep with you. I wish it could always be like this."

"Me too," he squeezed her and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, Rachel."

She turned around to kiss him on the lips. "Goodnight, Noah."

...

They only had one day to enjoy the hotel pool, and that's only because they skipped the first session of the final competition on Sunday. The awards were Sunday night, so they were able to spend the day relaxing. (Thank God Schue wanted to take Miss P. somewhere, otherwise they all would have been sitting through hours of performances.)

When Rachel came down to the pool, she felt breathless at the sight of Noah, who had gotten there before her. He always looked phenomenal but the sight of him in his board shorts, tank top, and sunglasses was undeniably hot. All the guys looked good, but he just stood out as looking better than anyone. She could see that other girls noticed too. Some girls Rachel recognized from Vocal Adrenaline were flirting with him, but he appeared to be holding them off and looking away uninterested. When Puck saw Rachel coming, he smiled, and said, "Excuse me, ladies, but I see my girlfriend on her way over."

"Hey, baby," he said as he kissed her.

"Hey yourself," she smiled. "I see you're making friends."

"Hardly," he scoffed and kissed her again.

Rachel overheard one of the girls say, "He could do so much better. She must be a freak in bed or something to snag _him_." Another girl said, "Hell, I'll be a freak in the sack for that one! I think I'd do anything he asked."

"Anything? Then maybe you should tell him and see what happens."

So Miss Sluts-a-Lot walked up to Puck and Rachel. "I just wanted you to know that you could have this," she gestured to her body (which was quite fantastic really, Rachel had to admit), "and _I'll _do _anything_ you want."

Puck raised his eyebrow. "No thanks."

"Last chance," said Floosy McGee.

"Since you don't seem to understand a polite 'no', let's try this: Fuck Off."

"Noah!" Rachel exclaimed, surprised by his forceful rejection.

"What? Some people can't take no for an answer." Slutty McSluts-a-lot gave up with huff, "Whatever, loser."

Rachel whispered in his ear, "Thanks, that girl really pissed me off."

"Rachel Berry 'pissed'!" Puck laughed. "It looks good on you!"

"No, _you_ look good!" she said automatically. Rachel couldn't help appreciate her boyfriend's physique out loud.

"Back at ya', Berry." He looked her up and down. "That's got to be the shortest dress I've ever seen."

"It's not a dress really. It's just a cover up to wear around the pool." And with that, she slipped it off, revealing the bikini underneath.

"Shit, Berry." He whistled. "Now I know for sure why I didn't want you to wear that in public."

She blushed. "Don't be silly."

Guys at the pool turned to look at the object being whistled at. Rachel noticed the attention and blushed an even deeper shade of red. "I think I'd better take this opportunity to start swimming my laps. Do you have a chair staked out where I can leave my bag?"

"Sure thing."

Rachel dove into the pool to swim her laps and avoid the gazes of the males (and jealous females). In the meantime, the junior jocks from New Directions made their way to Puck.

"Dude!" Matt and Mike were saying, eyes wide. Finn followed them, shaking his head at their reactions.

"Now we know…" Mike said as if he'd solved a mystery of epic proportions.

Matt started, "I mean all our girls look _damn_ good," he gestured to the pool area, and they all took a moment to admire Santana, Brittany, and Quinn lounging poolside. Really all of the girls in glee looked good! "But those Cheerios car washes in bikinis gave everyone lots of info." They took a moment to remember the last bikini car wash. "Rachel wore all those skirts…so we all knew she had the legs, and we figured she must have a pretty tight body if you were so interested, but _damn_, man!"

Puck started interrupting him as soon as Matt said the word _interested_, "Don't talk about Rachel like that now that I'm dating her."

"Why? You used to talk about seeing Santana's _ovaries_ when you two were dating," said Mike.

"That's different."

"Why?" asked Matt. "Santana and I are dating now, and you've said some messed up shit about her."

Puck brushed off Matt's question, "Everyone's seen Santana's ovaries. Hell, even Finn here's seen 'em."

Finn flushed, "Hey, how'd you know that?"

"Oh shit, you really did? No fucking way! When'd you tap that?!" cried Puck. Matt crossed his arms over his chest. This was getting ridiculous. It wasn't that great to be the latest rider on 'the girl who gets around', but he really liked Santana. She could be bitchy, sure, but when they were alone, she was actually pretty sweet. And she was totally hot.

"Last year," Finn mumbled.

"And you never said anything? That's whack," said Puck.

"Whatever, I dunreallywannatalkaboutit."

Mike and Puck exchanged knowing smiles. _Santana took Finn's virginity_. It couldn't have been a very shining moment. Matt was clenching his fists. But they all recognized that teasing Finn was unnecessary; everyone had been there with the awkward first time. Plus Puck knew that it must have happened when Finn wasn't really speaking to him since that had been a recent development. So, yeah.

"Alright, we get it, man," said Puck as he clapped a hand on Finn's back. Matt nodded in agreement.

"Hey, what's going on, guys?" Artie asked as he wheeled towards them. "Why does Finn look all constipated?"

...

When Rachel emerged from the pool after swimming her laps, she didn't spot Noah anywhere. She had a brief moment of panic that one of the harlots had succeeded in seducing her boyfriend, but she noticed Jesse on a lounge chair waving her over, so she headed to her towel (and unguarded bag) and brought her things over to join him. She didn't really think that after his show of devotion that Puck would really turn around and cheat on her. It was just a flash of panic before her logical brain took over.

Puck had actually gone to get a hotel towel so he could swim. When he came out, he got distracted by the guys drooling over Vocal Adrenaline's director, who had come down to the pool wearing a modest one-piece swimsuit that couldn't hide the fact that she had a slammin' rack, fine ass, and killer legs.

"Dude! Are you seeing this?" Mike elbowed Puck and looked towards Shelby. "So hot," he said in a high-pitched voice.

Puck smirked but felt guilty for ogling Rachel's aunt. If this had happened last year, he would've made some comment about how she looked good enough to eat and he was going to get a taste. And he probably would've successfully landed that shit too. But instead he thought about how Rachel would probably freak out if she saw Shelby, let alone if she saw the guys staring at her like she was sex on legs. So he said, "Uh, maybe we shouldn't, uh, be so obvious…"

"Take off your dress, dude," said Matt. "_You're_ telling us _not_ to check out a hot cougar? Sup with that?"

Mike piped up, "This just in, a serious injury to report, we have a guy whose girlfriend has just removed his balls."

"Whatever, dude." Puck kept his tone even. He didn't want to give away that Shelby was Rachel's aunt since Rachel didn't seem to want anyone to know. But he didn't want to make a big deal about them checking her out either, since that would just draw more attention. Where was Rachel anyway? He looked around and spotted Rachel talking to Jesse at the pool. "I'm gonna go get my balls back from Berry," he said as he headed her way.

Puck heard their mocking cries of "Oh! Oh!" and "No she di-n't!". But what got him really upset were not the jokes of his friends, who could clearly see that Rachel was simply talking to that Jesse tool, but the leers and comments he overheard from more Vocal Adrenaline douchebags who were hanging around. They were basically between where Puck stood and where Rachel sat.

The triple-flip-guy was saying, "looks like Jesse's gonna try to get back in that little loser's pants. She does have a hot ass, though." Another guy added, "I'd tap that. Especially if Shelby sent me on the mission! Espionage and sex make an awesome combination."

Puck shoved his way through them. "Excuse me. What the fuck did you just say?"

Rachel was startled by his voice. She turned and looked at Puck with wide eyes. "What's going on, Noah?" she asked.

"I'm asking these guys what they just said. Do you care to repeat it?" he asked through clenched teeth, glaring at the two guys he had overheard.

"No. Not really," said the triple-flipping douche. He didn't look sufficiently scared, and Puck thought he might have to change that.

Jesse stood up and walked toward his teammates. "Really, what's going on?"

"These guys have some things to apologize for, don't you?" Puck asked with a menacing glare. He was trying to respect Rachel's obvious wishes to keep violence out of this equation. Especially since he figured it would disqualify them or some stupid shit like that. But he really wanted to give these two jackasses a beat-down. "You said some things about my girlfriend and your friend Jesse here that you need to take back."

Jesse and Rachel both narrowed their eyes at the boys in question.

"Yeah, alright, fine. I'm sorry," said the triple fucker.

"I'm sorry," said the other dillhole.

Rachel stood up. "I think I've had enough of the pool." Puck nodded. He figured he'd confront Jesse about getting into Rachel's pants as a spy later. The spy thing had been a false rumor, right? And Rachel said the two of them just kissed. He needed to get Rachel out of there before things got worse.

On the elevator ride on their way back up to the hotel room, Rachel bemoaned the unfortunate series of events at the pool. She started out by questioning him about what really just happened outside, and he gave her most of the details. Then she brought up her distaste for the way girls throw themselves at her boyfriend.

"That girl who propositioned you was very attractive. She was hotter than I am, I'd have to say,"

"Hell no she wasn't!" Puck protested. "There are lots of girls, but there's only one you, Rachel. You're my girl." He looked deep into eyes. Rachel started to melt under his gaze. Then he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, you _are_ good!" Rachel said in a slightly mocking tone.

Luckily they were alone on the elevator, so they didn't get in trouble when Puck lifted her up and pushed her against the wall to stake his claim.

Rachel let out a squeal of surprise, but she couldn't help being pulled into his kisses, wrapping her legs around his muscular waist. When the elevator doors opened, she slid down his body, and they practically ran down the hall to his room.

"Look at you in your teeny-tiny dress and teeny-tiny bikini," Puck growled as he bolted the hotel door shut.

"Look at you in your shorts and…I'm not very good at this," Rachel said. He was so hot but she was not good at sounding sexy.

Puck smirked. "Let's focus on what you're good at then. Let's get out of these clothes!" She watched as he pulled off his shirt, revealing more of his incredibly toned body, his nipple ring vibrating a bit from brushing against his now-missing shirt. "You are so perfect," Rachel breathed.

"That's all you had to say a second ago," Puck said in a low voice.

"I think sometimes my brain turns to mush when I look at you," she admitted.

"I told you that's what I wanted, remember?"

She nodded, remembering he had told her that when they first started their sexual relationship. Rachel smiled wickedly as she began to work on removing his shorts. She freed him from his constraints, and he lifted her little dress over her head.

...

And for awhile they both forgot that anyone else in the world existed.

...

When the awards for Nationals were announced, nobody in New Directions really expected much. It was their first time in the competition and they were the smallest choir. When they won 5th place they were all surprised. When Vocal Adrenaline won 3rd place, Rachel cursed. Out loud.

Puck laughed. Out loud. So did everyone else. Even Mr. Schue. Well, Miss P. looked offended, but she smiled once Mr. Schue started laughing.

Rachel vowed that next year they'd wipe the floor with Vocal Adrenaline and their evil cheating troupe of _cheaters_. She seemed to lose her vocabulary when she was flustered.

It was kind of hilarious and kind of frightening because everyone remembered Rachel's Reign of Terror before Regionals.

...

Puck knew that nobody sang on the bus ride to Florida because they had to save their vocal cords. But they sure as hell sang on the way home. Not the whole 18 hours, but there was a lot of singing. Of course someone brought their dvd of _Rent_, so those who knew the words sang along to the songs, and pretty much everyone joined in on "Seasons of Love" because hell, they were a choir and friends and shit, so why the fuck not? Puck didn't think too much about it before joining in at the end, he'd seen the end of the movie with Rachel before, but he figured he made the right choice by singing along. Especially when Rachel looked like she was about to burst with excitement when he actually sang "how about lo—ove?" And that totally scored him a super hot make out session that probably lasted about four hours. No fucking joke. The bus seats were still uncomfortable, but he could hardly complain. Much.

...

**April, Junior Year**

Now that Nationals were over, they still had glee during school, but they didn't have after school rehearsals anymore. Mr. Schue said that during the day they'd work on techniques and think of new strategies for next year, but they wouldn't push things too hard. That freed up a lot more evenings for Puck and Rachel and the other kids to study or pursue other activities.

Tuesday night Puck had basketball practice, but Wednesday night, Puck could practice with the band, and since he'd skipped practices several times for glee, he was glad to be back. On this rare occasion, Rachel didn't join him because she was doing some early studying for finals with her math study group. Puck's not in Trig, so he felt no obligation to join in.

As he was packing up his guitar to leave after the band finished practice, Josh told him to hold up.

"You seemed a little out of it tonight. Something wrong?" Josh asked.

"Well…Rachel will be in New York over the summer at NYU. I guess I was thinking about that during some of the songs. Sorry, man."

"It's ok, I wasn't criticizing," said Josh. "It's just a practice."

Puck was a little taken aback. "Dude, you're always about giving it 100%, even in practice." Puck thought to himself that Josh was kinda like Rachel that way.

"Yeah, I guess that's true," Josh admitted. "But that totally settles it. The band should go to New York this summer."

"What?! Are you kidding me? How are we gonna do that?"

"My brother has a place and opened a bar near NYU. I was gonna suggest we go over spring break."

"Why'd you hold out on us? Are you fucking crazy?"

"Yeah, crazy," Josh said ruefully, thinking of Quinn. "Well, I was gonna ask Quinn to come with us, and that's how I found out your spring break was different than our spring break…"

Puck was incredulous. "Still man, you should've gone to check out the scene! I can't believe you guys didn't go! But yeah, we should totally go this summer!"

"Quinn's not doing the same thing that Rachel is, is she?"

"Nah, Rachel's all focused on getting to Broadway and being a star. Quinn just wants to get college scholarships since her parents cut her off from the big bucks, even though she lives with them again."

"Why aren't they helping her pay for college?"

"You know, I heard it's because she had an illegitimate child with some Jew bastard," Puck shrugged.

Josh chuckled at Puck's mockery and shook his head at the Fabray's idiocy.

"She'll probably end up being a hot lawyer who'll never sing again after high school," Puck said.

Josh nodded, "Yeah, Quinn would be a hot lawyer. And she's a girl who can get what she wants."

"Seriously," Puck agreed. Then he switched back to the topic that was really burning a hole in his brain. "So New York, man, for real?" Puck's no homo but he couldn't wait to tell Rachel that he'd be visiting her this summer.

...

When Puck told Rachel about his chance to go to New York over the summer, he expected her intense level of excitement since he shared the feeling. What she actually said surprised him a bit.

"Oh, Noah! This is spectacular! It's a step in your own plan to take New York by storm!"

He chuckled. "I have a plan to take New York by storm?"

"You can do anything you put your mind to, Noah. You're a very talented musician. And the fact that you're devastatingly handsome will only help your career because we live in a superficial world, but you're blessed with many very desirable features. And you have the drive to maintain not only your physique but anything you set your mind to. So I have the upmost confidence that you'll be successful at whatever you choose in life. I assume that you'll choose to join forces with me. Together, we'll take the music world by storm, starting with New York." She smiled her huge conquer-the-world-smile.

Puck didn't know why she thought he could take on the world. Part of him was a little annoyed at her unrealistic outlook. Another part of him was grateful to have someone who believes him. And the remaining part of him was amused at Rachel's assumption that they'd "join forces" to beat the music world into submission under their iron rule. Ok, once Puck started thinking about Rachel as an evil genius, his deeply suppressed inner nerd got carried away. Ultimately, Puck just had to shake his head but go along with what she said. She said it with such conviction. He could almost believe her.

...

Josh and the rest of the guys decided they wanted to practice as much as possible before their highly anticipated debut in New York (still months away). What? They were excited. Since Rachel and Quinn had missed the last practice, Quinn decided to join Rachel and Puck on their next trip across town to Josh's place. She hadn't really spent any time with Josh since before Nationals, and band practice was better than nothing she supposed. Since she was now trying to divide her time somewhat equally between Josh and Finn until she could make a decision between them, she figured that a band practice was similar to the degree of interaction she has with Finn at school. She mostly spent the practice on the couch in the garage with Rachel, listening to the band play while they tried to do homework.

As the band finished their practice for the night, Josh asked Quinn if she wanted to hang out for a while with him.

"I rode with Puck and Rachel this time, so I have to leave with them," Quinn explained. "Another time? I'm trying to balance the amount of time and the quality of time I spend with you and Finn. I'm sorry I'm not very good at this."

Josh shrugged. "It's fine. We're like 40 dogs."

"What?" Quinn gave him a look that made it clear she had no idea what he was talking about.

"From the song. We're like good times that haven't happened yet, but will," Josh told her.

Quinn shook her head. "That's a wonderful line, but I still don't know what song it is. Forty dogs?" She had lost the point Josh was trying to make and was hung up on the song title.

"Oh, we played that one last time instead of tonight. I forgot you hadn't heard it yet and wouldn't be familiar with the lyrics. It's something Puckerman and I have been working on together. Why don't I see if the guys are up for playing one more song?"

They were. "We divided the parts, Rach," Puck told her before they started. "So listen up, this one's for you too," he grinned.

They began playing Bob Schneider's "40 Dogs".

**Josh:**_ Well if I spell it out, if I yell it out,  
Will you hear me when I tell you about  
What I have to say, before it gets too late?  
It's not as easy as I said it'd be,  
But there's something right about you and me,  
Something right about you and me._

_Well you're the color of a burning brook,  
You're the color of a sideways look from an undercover cop in a comic book  
You're the color of a storm in June,  
You're the color of the moon.  
You're the color of the night, that's right,  
Color of a fight - you move me.  
You're the color of the colored part of The Wizard of Oz movie._

**All:**_ We're like Romeo and Juliet,  
We're like 40 dogs cigarettes,  
We're like good times that haven't happened yet but will.  
And I can tell you where we're gonna be  
When the whole world falls into the sea:  
We'll be livin' ever after, happily._

**Puck:**_ All the boys taking you for granted,  
Tell you what they want with their eyes all slanted.  
I don't like the way they look at you,  
I don't like the way they talk too,  
I don't like the way they talk to you.  
I wouldn't let 'em talk to you like that._

_Put 'em up high, reach for the ceiling.  
Tell 'em that I don't walk, damn it, I'm reelin',  
It ain't no crime, it's just dreams we're stealing -  
Anything to get more of this feeling_

_You take the high and I'll take the low,  
We'll get there before you know.  
We ain't got no time to waste,  
We got too much life to taste._

**All:**_ We're like Romeo and Juliet,  
And 40 dogs cigarettes,  
We're like good times that haven't happened yet but will.  
And I can tell you where we're gonna be  
When the whole world falls into the sea:  
We'll be livin' ever after, happily._

**Josh:**_ Sometimes you remind me of a moonbeam,  
Of a ghost of a moonbeam out on the beach down by the coast, _

_Slip into the nil like the most _

_Beautiful thing I've ever seen._

**Puck:**_ Come out tonight, come out with me, baby.  
We'll throw the careful into the crazy,  
_

**Josh:**_ Turn the sky black into a sky blue,  
Turn the close shave into a hoo-hoo.  
_

**Both:**_ What I say is true, t' make a fire, gotta burn a few,  
Make a fire, gotta burn a few,  
We can do what we want to do._

**All:**_ We're like Romeo and Juliet, 40 dogs cigarettes,  
We're like good times that haven't happened yet but will.  
I can tell you where we're gonna be  
When the whole world falls into the sea:  
We'll be livin' ever after, happily._

...

"I'm not sure if I like the reference to cigarettes, but everything else was wonderful, Noah! And you guys too!" Rachel exclaimed, including Josh, Eddie, and Trey.

"We didn't write the song, Rachel," chucked Trey.

Rachel nodded, a little embarrassed. "I know. I just don't like references to smoking."

"And why is it 40 dogs?" Quinn asked, puzzled by the lyrics and song title.

"It's 40 milligrams of nicotine," replied Puck. "Addictive. Better cigarette."

"How would you know that?" Rachel asked pointedly.

"Puck used to smoke, you know," said Quinn. "But he quit because of Dizzy."

"And you used to nag me every day," Puck told Quinn as he nudged her playfully.

Both Rachel and Josh seemed to shift uncomfortably at Puck and Quinn's referral to their past relationship. "Well," said Rachel crisply, "I'm glad you got him to quit, Quinn."

"I didn't really make him do anything. Puck doesn't really do anything he doesn't want to do." Quinn smiled.

"Damn straight," said Puck.

"Well, thank you for playing that song for us, boys, since I didn't understand Josh's reference," said Quinn.

"Puck may have smoked, but we still had to look up what 40 dogs meant, Quinn. So you girls weren't the only ones who didn't know," said Trey.

Quinn nodded to Trey, and then she walked to Josh to thank him personally. "That was a really beautiful song choice. I really loved it, and you did a great job."

"Thanks, Quinn," Josh said quietly. "I may not have written it, but I did pick it for a reason."

Quinn nodded and smiled up at him, eyes shining. She was finally starting to understand the meaning. She kissed him goodbye for the night, and left with Rachel and Puck.

"I personally love that you sing songs to me, Noah, but I realize that my romantic gestures of dedicating songs to you on myspace might not be the way you'd like me to express my appreciation and affection," Rachel announced in the truck on the ride home. "And I would like to do a few things, especially since I'll be gone for four whole weeks this summer. Would you like to suggest some alternatives?"

"Oh, I have some alternatives all right!"

"Ok, great!" she said brightly, not catching the mischief in Puck's tone.

"You know _that thing_ I always wanna try and you always say no? How about that?"

"No," Rachel said flatly.

"It would really show me you care."

"Pick something else," Rachel said through gritted teeth.

"What about _that other thing_ you won't do?"

"Noah, not sexual favors that I'm uncomfortable performing! I'm talking about doing something thoughtful!"

"Ok, calm down. I'm just joking. …That is unless you change your mind."

"Noah!"

"Right."

"Oh, and not your homework or household chores," she added.

"I wasn't gonna say that," Puck protested. (He so was.)

"Well, maybe you should think about it and let me know later," Rachel gestured to Quinn to remind Puck that they weren't alone. Quinn sat on the passenger side so quietly; it was easy for them to forget she had ridden with them. But Quinn was lost in her own thoughts, barely registering the inappropriate conversation happening next to her. She had a lot of thinking to do.

Puck had an answer ready. "I think the way you showed your appreciation after I sang 'Calling You' would be good." He said it casually, but Rachel blushed at the memory.

"I'll keep that in mind."

...

**A.N.** More thank-you's: Inspiration for Finn's movie choices came from **Karma22**'s song suggestions from the movie _Broken Bridges_ and **ncar08**'s suggestion of a Mandy Moore song for Quinn that got me going on _A Walk to Remember_ (even though the suggestion came from _Center Stage_). A little more of jealous Puck was requested by **joker to the thief**. Watching _Rent_ on the bus ride home and singing "Seasons of Love" came from **ncar08**'s suggestion for Nationals, but I already said in ch. 23 that the number Will picked was choreo-heavy, so I did what I did, picking "Live and Let Die" when I wrote ch. 23 because I thought New Directions could do a better job than the original! (You'll see another **ncar08 **suggestion at Prom.)** PoliVamp **asked for another Mercedes song (a solo in Live and Let Die is what I provided) and asked for a Mr. Schue freak out at the kids for serenading each other during glee. And** weasleymadchen** asked for more of the neglected foursome (Matt, Santana, Brittany, Mike) along with Artie and Tina.

**Next:** More where this left off, Prom, the end of the year, the end of the story!

I'm going out of town and have a lot of work keeping me busy, so the last chapter will probably take a while to post too, but it will still be done before Glee returns from the hiatus. I'm also holding off on reading and reviewing other stories until after I get back from my business trip, but I'll be back to normal at the end of next week. (I may take a while to answer reviews for this chapter, but I love answering reviews, so those will come too.)

**Disclaimer.** The "Bros before" line came from Dollhouse, with a slight variation.


	25. Beginnings and Endings

**A.N.** I've been in fanfiction seclusion so I could finish this story. It went long, so it's broken into two parts. Find more thank-you's in final Author's Note. Final playlist and song thank-you's here for parts 1 and 2: (all links are to youtube except for Yardley, as noted)

**Prom:** Partial lyrics from "Glitter in the Air" by Pink, courtesy of **Karma22** /watch?v=jY7luanS150 ;Paramore's "The Only Exception" thanks to **ncar08 **/watch?v=-J7J_IWUhls **; **lyrics from Taio Cruz's "Break Your Heart" from **chrpangel **/watch?v=y_SI2EDM6Lo.

**Rachel's video:** "Betting High" by Yardley—which is a rare find—if you can search with Yahoo music, you can listen free new . music . yahoo . com/yardley/tracks/. Then Miley Cyrus "7 Things" (don't listen if you hate, but the link is a Puckleberry video made by user **missmonteith **set to the song) /watch?v=uKyoveikMI8

**Band:** **sgarakaki** for Tal Bachman's "(You Love) Like Nobody Loves Me" /watch?v=LGrOQgCw7Hs , along with my other band picks "Percussion Gun" by White Rabbits /watch?v=IClBpch9vmM and "Shattered" by OAR /watch?v=d_NfBqD_2iI

**Last glee rehearsal/graduation: "**I'm Yours/Somewhere Over the Rainbow" cover medley by Straight No Chaser /watch?v=pYdZvQBl6sk&feature=fvw Fun fact: SNC started at the same university attended by Ryan Murphy and me! While I didn't overlap in college with RM, I did with SNC!

**Conclusion:** Lyrics from "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Calliat /watch?v=acvIVA9-FMQ

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee, any songs mentioned, or anything familiar. I make no profit from this use of my brain, unfortunately.

…

**April, Junior Year**

Puck knew something was up when he got home from practicing with the band Thursday night and his mom was awake, cleaning the living room. At 11 o'clock at night. Normally if she was home instead of at work, she'd be in bed, exhausted.

"What are you doing up?" he asked when he walked in the door.

"Noah, nice to see you too," she replied, setting down her dusting cloth. Puck rolled his eyes. His mother continued. "I was waiting for you to get home so I could ask you something. Would you invite Rachel and her family to join us for Pesach?"

"You're out your mind," he said automatically. Because, really, he already knew his mom was crazy, but having the Berry's over for the Passover Seder—no good could come of it. And that's what he told her. "Seriously, Ma, her dads can barely tolerate me. And the dinner Rachel and I had with them was a _disaster_. Besides, we're not really known for our Jewish family traditions," he reminded her.

Mrs. Puckerman sighed. "True, but I believe I've been told that Rachel's family isn't the most traditional either. It's about two weeks away, Noah. Please just ask her and let her fathers decide. I haven't had any opportunities for us all to come together and get to know one another."

He had a hard time saying 'no' to his mom when she looked at him all pleading like that. "Well…how about we invite them over for dinner, but not for Passover. Only one of her dads is Jewish anyway. And then we don't have to worry about offending them by doing it wrong. Ok?"

"That sounds like a good compromise," his mom answered happily. "You know, maybe her fathers would see you in a new light after you show them what a good Jewish boy you are!" She was grinning at her own brilliant plan.

Puck rolled his eyes again, but couldn't help flashing a grin back at his mother. "I'll keep that in mind. So, which day are we planning to impress the Berry's?"

"The Friday before…so the 11th! That's next Friday! But we'll be ready!" Puck chuckled at his mom's enthusiasm. "I'll ask Rachel at school tomorrow. Goodnight, Mom. Get some rest!"

"Thanks, honey! You too! Love you, Noah-bean!"

Puck was half-way up the stairs before he turned around in horror. "No. I changed my mind. This could be the most embarrassing dinner of my life." And if his mom knew what had happened at his last dinner with the Berry's, she would know just how bad that was. (She didn't know.)

His mother looked up at him solemnly. "I promise I will not use any cute nicknames or embarrass you in any way."

"On purpose," he said pointedly.

This time his mother looked hurt, and after more guilt-tripping on her part, Puck conceded to his initial agreement to invite the Berry's to spend next Friday's dinner at the Puckerman house.

…

Rachel was excited to hear about the invitation for the upcoming dinner. "Noah! Don't you realize the great potential here!?" she told him on the way to school. "That's right before Prom! If things go well at dinner, my dads might actually agree to let us spend Prom night _together_!"

"Fuck, you're a genius, Berry!" he exclaimed, reaching over to squeeze her bare leg. April meant skirts were back in rotation with knee socks instead of wool tights. (And on really warm days, no knee socks, just lots of leg!) Sitting there with her in his truck, appreciating how the skirt rode high on her thighs, he loved the spring weather. But fuck if he didn't hate the way other guys appreciated Rachel's skirts too. Damn horny bastards.

Rachel grabbed his hand, entwining her fingers in his. "I know," she beamed. "Well, _genius_ might be too strong, but I do put my above average intelligence to good use."

Puck had to smirk; she was too adorable, "Totally."

…

At school, the kids enjoyed their period for glee as a nice break from the stress of school. Now that Nationals were over, all they had scheduled was the performance for the graduating seniors' commencement. Principal Figgins requested _Somewhere Over the Rainbow_, so Mr. Schue was excited to bring in his ukulele and accompany them in the version by IZ. No choreography was needed for this performance, so they were still expected to do vocal exercises and think about raising money for next year, but overall, it was pretty calm. The drama started after glee ended and Mr. Schue left the room.

Most of the girls were talking about dress shopping for Prom. Kurt and Alex were finishing up their discussion regarding complementary but not matching Prom attire, and were moving on to debate the merits of pocket squares, when Santana had a realization.

"Wait a minute. Kurt, you're going to Prom without your beard, Mercedes?" she sneered.

"Excuse me?" Kurt asked. Alex looked at Santana at first with confusion, and then with contempt. Mercedes had been almost out the door when she turned around to face Santana. "Girl, you better watch what you're sayin'!"

"No offense, Mercedes," Santana said calmly. Then she turned back to Kurt and Alex. "I'm not about to let you two be the first _out_ couple in school and get all the attention when Britt and I have been together _way_ longer."

"Petty much?" Kurt asked.

"Bitch, please," scoffed Santana.

Kurt and Alex looked at her expectantly, waiting for the follow-up. But nothing came. Santana wasn't sure why she had lost her skills with the sarcastic comments and clever comebacks, but maybe it had to do with the idea that someone would steal the attention that she'd been happy to take over after Queen Quinn fell from grace. She had to fix this immediately.

So she asked Brit to Prom on their way to Cheerios practice.

"Britt, we should go to Prom together. You know, as a couple." Santana told her lovely (if dumb) blond girlfriend.

"I'm already going with Mike," Brittany said simply.

"So? Tell him you're going with me instead," said Santana, hands on her hips. She knew that Britt knew that meant business.

Brittany tried to process the situation. "But before you said we're not a couple. You said sex isn't dating."

"I know. But we _could_ be dating," Santana smiled sweetly. "Don't you like what we do together?"

Brittany nodded slowly. "Um…I'll ask Mike about it."

…

That weekend was the unofficial Prom shopping weekend for most of the girls in glee. Santana fawned over Brittany and gave her extra attention as they looked for dresses together. Rachel had gone shopping with Tina and Mercedes, but when they ran into Quinn, Santana, and Brittany; Rachel was pleasantly surprised to find that they continued to troll the stores together instead of going their separate ways. Mercedes mumbled something like, "Bitch better watch what she says," but other than that, there didn't really seem to be tension in the group. Santana even said something to Mercedes about her dress choice that made Mercedes smile. And she complimented Rachel on finding a dress that worked so well with her skin tone. Rachel wondered if Santana would have acted differently if they had run into non-glee Cheerios while they were all mingling together. But she felt relatively sure (maybe 70%) that Quinn and Brittany would not have had a problem being seen with her. That seemed like a bit of progress to Rachel. She wondered what senior year would bring.

…

Prom was of course the topic of discussion after glee the next week. A few minutes into it, Rachel and Puck shook their heads and left; happy to be outside of the drama.

"Look, Santana," Mike said. "I already asked Brittany, and Matt already asked you. But I get that you and Brittany are…kind of a couple too. I'm not letting you take Brittany away from me, but my suggestion is that we all go together." He grabbed Brittany's hand and clapped Matt on the back. Then he felt the need to clarify, "Not _together_, together."

"As if! I'm just not that into you," Santana said snidely.

"Hey, I'm giving you an olive branch and you're spitting in my face!" Mike protested.

"Oh, is that your face?" mocked Santana.

"Oh, is that your come-back?" Mike snarked back.

Santana flushed. She didn't know what was wrong with her lately. She was out of her groove or something. "Whatever. Fine, I guess we can all go together, but I have to make an entrance with Brittany as part of the deal."

Mike wasn't sure why that mattered. He just shrugged. "Fine. Deal. I can't wait to escort you ladies to the Prom," he said with a hint of sarcasm. Then he felt he needed to clarify again, "Sorry, Matt, I didn't mean I'm escorting you. You weren't included as a _lady_. And I don't mean we should have a foursome or something. Not that you're not a great guy, but I'm not into dudes."

"Me neither!" Matt said quickly. Then he nodded, "It's cool. I get you, man. We're both into our girls and we're not interested in other guys being _into_ them too. So no threesomes either." Matt also knew that sometimes there could be too much cock in the room. He didn't know how Puck had convinced him to join him in the locker room with April Rhodes last year. But uh, part of the time he had been a bit…uncomfortable. He wasn't looking to have a repeat experience.

Santana rolled her eyes at the boys and ushered Brittany along with her to Cheerios practice.

…

The week flew by and the Puckermans had been busy cleaning the house and preparing for the highly anticipated Berry-Puckerman dinner. That was his mom's name for it, and don't think he didn't realize she was implying something about the _future_. But he wasn't too bothered by it, surprisingly. He was worried that she'd be overbearing about it though. And he was worried that Sarah would act completely inappropriately. He had warned her that Rachel had two dads. One is Jewish and one is black, he'd said. Sarah had said something like "blackberry, jewberry" under her breath and then kept having giggle outbursts over the next 40 minutes. So Puck had to threaten to destroy her Jonas Brothers cd if she didn't pull it together. He really hoped that she'd gotten over it by now.

Puck had to rush home after the baseball game to shower and change in time for the event. Rachel had watched him at the game, but they drove separately so she could leave right away to get ready for the dinner and arrive with her dads. Puck said a little prayer that things would go better than last time he had dinner with Rachel and her dads.

And maybe prayer worked.

It was all polite small talk when the Berry's arrived, which was fine, even if it was a little uncomfortable. When Rachel introduced her black dad as Marshall and her Jewish dad as Aaron, Puck gave Sarah a warning look to be sure she wouldn't recite her names for them. For her part, Sarah didn't even crack a smile; she just shook their hands with a serious expression on her eleven-year-old face. They sat at the dining table—which rarely happened normally. His mom had the seating arrangements selected (with place cards!), and she sat at one head of the table, and sat Rachel across from Puck and Sarah.

Deb Puckerman made a kosher meal (no sweet and sour pork tonight), and Aaron Berry complimented her on it; so she was feeling great about the night so far. "And Noah knows how to cook some good kosher meals, too, don't you, Noah?" she prodded.

Puck stopped himself from rolling his eyes at her. She was trying to help him, after all. "Thanks, Mom. I try to help out and feed the kid over here every now and then," he tousled Sarah's hair. She actually grinned at him instead of sticking out her tongue.

"Yeah, he can be a good big brother," Sarah said, looking from Noah to Rachel's dads.

Puck cocked an eyebrow at her, and she just gave him an innocent look. He wondered if his mom had bribed her with something.

She had.

And his mother's plans were working. Puck's interactions with his little sister and his mom were doing a great job of softening Rachel's dads' hearts. But the conversations they had about Rachel were what really helped Puck get in good with the Berry's.

Deb Puckeman continued acting as the ringmaster. "Noah told me that Rachel is going to two performing arts camps this summer in New York. You must be so proud of her."

Rachel beamed as her fathers expressed their pride in her accomplishments. "I'm really looking forward to it, Mrs. Puckerman, thank you. The only aspect I'm not looking forward to is being away for a month."

"It's funny you should say that, Rachel," Deb replied. "You probably know that Noah is so happy for you too. Oh, if you could have seen how he was glowing with pride when he told me about your acceptance." Puck felt himself blushing. Damn it. He knew this dinner would be a train wreck of humiliation. His mom continued, "But he was also moping around the house for days shortly afterwards, singing some song. What was that song, dear?"

Puck almost choked on his brisket. But Rachel's dads were looking at him curiously, so he mumbled, "Calling You."

Rachel clapped her hands together and exclaimed, "Oh, it was the sweetest thing! Noah performed that song for me before glee one day. He even asked Finn to perform it with him! You're really a wonderful performer, Noah, and it was so heartfelt! I wish you all could have seen it!" Rachel looked around the table.

"I'm not familiar with that song," said Marshall Berry. He almost looked as though he were challenging Puck to sing it.

Well, Puck wasn't about to do any of that shit. So he said, "It was just a song to show Rachel that I'd be calling her over the summer while she's gone because I'll miss her."

He got a series of looks from everyone at the table that basically said "Awww." Even from her dads! Puck added, "But of course I'm really happy for Rachel to have the…um…opportunity. Everyone knows she's gonna make it out of Lima and be a huge success. She's the most talented and most driven person I've ever met."

"Is Rachel going to be like Hannah Montana?" Sarah asked, getting laughs all around.

"Better," Puck assured her. "Way better."

Sarah pondered that, since it didn't seem possible, while Puck and Rachel beamed at each other from across the table. The parents beamed at the young couple too.

…

Friday night for Quinn was a bit different than the domestic adventures of Puck and Rachel. She and Finn went to Brittany's after the baseball game for the traditional spring sports party. A part of Quinn felt completely in her element. She was the cheerleader (not head cheerleader any more, but still a Cheerio) on the arm of the star athlete and all-around nicest (popular) guy in school. She was surrounded by her friends (mostly), and she enjoyed chatting with Britt while Finn went to grab them something to drink. But another part of Quinn felt like everything around her was so _fake_. These people who acted like her friends now weren't her friends when Finn had broken up with her and she and Puck had tried to work together to raise their baby. All they cared about was being popular. She used to be that way too. And so did Finn. Quinn wasn't sure, but she thought that Finn still wanted to do everything possible to stay popular. And a part of her did too, honestly. But in some ways she felt maybe with Josh she could get over all of the high school popularity contests and just be herself.

Then Finn came back towards her, holding out a plastic cup for her to take, and soon she was back to thinking about how dreamy Finn was and how they were a perfect fit. And when Finn actually brought up how excited he was for Prom, and started asking her about plans for dinner, what flowers to get, and all the little details she thought she'd have to force him into talking about; Quinn almost squealed for joy.

…

When Quinn got home that night, she had a message from Josh asking about plans for the weekend. So she called him. And she explained her plans for the weekend were already pretty full. "Sorry I missed your call. I just got back from the baseball game party. I have a study group tomorrow, and on Sunday I need to go shopping to by a present for Diana Isabel's first birthday, after church, of course. The trials and tribulations of a teen mom who adopted out her baby, you know?" she scoffed at herself.

"So, you don't feel like going out on Saturday night after your study group, I take it?" Josh asked.

"Well, I can't stay out late on Saturday because I have the early church service, but I think I need to take some time for myself this weekend…"

"Uh, ok. That's cool. We could just talk or whatever…if you want."

Quinn smiled to herself. Josh usually seemed so confident in person, but talking on the phone he seemed nervous…it was kinda cute. She wasn't planning on staying up late talking on the phone with him, but that's what she ended up doing. When Josh mentioned that he was going to New York over the summer, Quinn said she was happy for him.

"It's really great that you're going over the summer since it didn't work out over Spring Break. I am sorry that I won't be able to go with you. I've always wanted to visit New York," Quinn said wistfully.

"Yeah, I think I might move there after graduation next year. I think I can get a job with my brother working nights at his bar while I try to get my MBA, and of course, try to keep things going with the band."

"So all the guys want to move to New York after next year?" Quinn asked slowly.

"Yep, I think even Puckerman will too since it seems like Rachel is bound for Broadway," Josh chuckled.

"That sounds about right," Quinn agreed.

"Have you thought about where you want to go to college, Quinn? Any schools in New York on the list?" Josh asked.

"Why? Should I be considering a future in New York?" she asked carefully.

"Definitely. You should definitely consider it." Josh declared.

…

Quinn should have been happy, and her first reaction was resembled elation; but after a few moments of thinking about it, the conversation with Josh left her uneasy, scared. She had said goodbye soon after the conversation turned to her future. With _their_ future implied. Planning a future together meant commitment. And that meant that she would have to get serious about making this decision between the two guys she so enjoyed spending time with.

She never thought she'd have two guys who seemed interested in commitment and that she would be the one freaking out and shying away. What was she protecting herself from? Quinn thought that she always seemed to close her heart a little: she closed her heart to baby Dizzy, to Puck, to Finn, and to Josh. If she couldn't open her heart fully even to her own daughter, how could she ever open her heart to Josh or Finn? That night Quinn cried bitterly until she had no more tears. How did she get so damaged?

…

Quinn pulled herself together over the weekend and asked Puck to go shopping with her on Sunday to buy Dizzy a present for her first birthday, which was fast approaching.

Inside Macy's looking at dresses, Puck noticed Quinn getting a little teary-eyed. "Hard to believe everything that's happened over the last year, huh? But we have a beautiful little girl out of it, and I'm sure she's doing great, Quinn," he said, putting his arm around her.

Quinn nodded and wiped at her eyes, smiling up at him sheepishly. "I know; you're right. She's better off with the Harris family. I don't think I could have loved her the way I'm supposed to anyway because I'd always feel a little guilty about how she came into the world….Because of what I did to Finn…" she looked away from Puck, unsure why she had said that out loud.

"Yeah, we fucked up, but maybe we just needed to be together that way that night." He shrugged. No point in beating themselves up over it any more.

"But we hurt Finn. We had sex out of spite. A terrible way to have a child." Quinn was mostly reciting what her mother had told her.

"In a way," Puck nodded. "But in a way, it was also kind of about love. I'm not gay or whatever, but we both loved Finn, you know? So much that he hurt us by ignoring us, so we wanted to hurt him too. It was just an immature way to love. We're kids after all." Puck looked at his shoes like they were fascinating. "We thought we could maybe feel some love with each other for a night," he mumbled. "I think we need to stop feeling guilty about it." He shrugged. When Puck looked up, Quinn was looking at him like he was Obi-Wan Kenobi or some shit.

"When'd you get so smart, Puck?"

"Probably when I started dating Rachel Berry," he said automatically.

"I don't think you give yourself enough credit," Quinn said seriously.

"Rachel says that too," Puck replied, shrugging off her compliment.

"Well, smarty, you seem to be on a roll with saying profound things. Maybe you can help me with this one. I feel really torn about Finn and Josh. I don't know what to do, but I think I probably have to do something. I guess I feel a little guilty for dating them both, but I don't want to hurt either of them."

"Maybe you should just pick one."

"I know I should pick one. But I don't want to hurt either of them," she repeated.

"Someone always gets hurt, Quinn. You just have to figure out how to make it hurt the least possible amount. Especially for you. Make sure that you hurt the least."

Quinn pondered the advice. "It sounds selfish, but I think you're actually on to something."

Puck brushed his hands. "Ok, that's it. I'm out. No more chick chat for the rest of the day, got it?"

"Fine." Quinn shoved him playfully. "But I do appreciate the words of wisdom. It's good talking to you like this, Puck."

Puck felt a sense of pride at the idea that he'd given Quinn good advice and she'd take it. Who'd have thought? "Whatever. Don't get used to it," he said sourly, fighting his grin.

But Quinn could tell he was putting on a show, so she didn't call him on it. She just started pulling out dresses for Dizzy and holding them up, trying to get Puck to say things like "cute" and "Aww". It worked too. He was a sucker for his little girl.

…

And that evening after he and Quinn had exhausted Lima's supply of dresses for one-year-olds before finding the perfect two dresses; Puck got great news from Rachel.

"Would you be interested in spending the night with me on Prom night?" Rachel asked him on the phone.

"Uh, hell yeah, but am I sneaking in the window? Or are you actually going to convince your dads that it's cool for me to come over after Prom?"

"I don't have to convince them! You already did!" Rachel squealed.

"I did what?"

Rachel explained. "My dads talked to each other, and then talked to me. After dinner with your mom and sister, they said they could see your distress about me leaving, but also that you were genuinely happy and proud of me. They said they can tell that you really care about me, and not just about our sexual relationship. So…" Rachel paused for dramatic effect, "they are going to have that vacation they were supposed to take for Valentine's Day, and they're giving us permission to spend Prom night together!"

"Hallelujah. Prayer works!"

"You prayed for this?"

"Every damn day," said Puck.

…

While practically everyone in school was thinking about Prom, Puck had a few other things on his mind. First, it sucked that he couldn't see his daughter turn one because the Harris' were taking her to Florida to visit their retired parents. But they had only agreed to get to see her for one holiday a year, and he supposed he couldn't blame the Harris' for wanting their parents to meet their adopted granddaughter. Second, Puck had been thinking about what he overheard during Nationals about that Jesse dude being a spy and getting in Rachel's pants. He needed to do something about it, but he he wasn't sure what. He didn't even know the fucker's last name. Third, he had been thinking about stuff for the band—especially now that all of the guys were excited to go to New York for a while in the summer. They were practicing like crazy.

So the day before the Prom, while Rachel got a manicure or some girly shit like that, Puck headed to Josh's house for a practice. He wanted get the guys to agree to another song that he wanted to dedicate to Rachel during their last show at The Tavern before they left for New York. Of course, that show was still several weeks away.

"So it's kind of an old song, but it's in the range for our usual crowd demo, you know?" Puck told the guys. "It's just…not a real popular one…"

"Of course," said Josh, rolling his eyes.

Puck continued, "But the lyrics are perfect, and Rachel's really into lyrics. Anyway, here it is. Tal Bachman _Like Nobody Loves Me_."

Josh looked it over. "That name sounds familiar." When he looked up the artist on his laptop, he turned back to Puck. "Alright, maybe we'll do a little Bachman assortment since that guy had a hit earlier, you know _She's So High (Above Me)?" _Josh clicked on the link to play the song for the guys.

"Yeah, I remember it. So are you doing that one for Quinn?" Puck grinned.

"Hah," Josh let out a sharp laugh. "Yeah, that is kinda fitting isn't it?"

"Dude, you've really got it bad for her," Eddie piped up. Puck shook his head mockingly at Josh.

"I like her. I don't need your pity!" Josh said, half-joking because of the looks he was getting from the guys.

"She hasn't been around much lately," Trey observed. He didn't have much of a social filter.

"She's probably been busy getting ready for Prom," Puck explained. "That's all the girls have been talking about for weeks."

"Ok, maybe I do need your pity," Josh sighed.

…

**Prom, Junior Year**

Puck didn't want to be part of the limo with the weirdness going on between Matt, Santana, Brittany, and Mike. Hanging out with Finn and Quinn had enough potential for awkwardness without throwing Santana into the mix. So the limo was out, but he didn't want to fuck around with his piece-of-shit truck. Ok, he loved his truck, but he couldn't really picture Rachel emerging from that rust bucket in her fancy dress smiling and happy about it. When he expressed this to Rachel, her eyes got all wide and even a little watery. The next day, Rachel announced that her dads were letting him borrow the Lexus. Puck almost shit his pants. He of course thanked the Berry's profusely when he heard the news, and again when he picked Rachel up for Prom and they handed him the keys. Her dads weren't about to miss seeing Rachel head off to her first Prom, so they delayed departing for their weekend trip until after the couple left for dinner. They took pictures and gushed. Standard fanfare. And they headed to their hybrid while Puck and Rachel made their way to her dads' Lexus. So he and Rachel had their own (sweet) transportation to Prom, and they were free to leave when they pleased to spend the rest of the night in private.

Finn thought that was a good idea, although he wasn't sure how Quinn would feel about a hotel room. He pulled an Eric Foreman and rented a room anyway without telling her since he had just turned eighteen. (His pre-school teacher thought it would be better for him to stay an extra year and be an older kid in his class rather than a younger kid in his class. Something about how boys are slow to develop; he didn't really remember the reason.) But as for the hotel room, Finn was absolutely not going to pressure Quinn. But it would be nice to spend the night together after the dance.

So this foursome decided to meet up to have dinner at Mario's before the Prom, and Puck and Finn would each drive their dates separately from the others. Sure, they were overdressed for their restaurant of choice, but there really wasn't anywhere in Lima you could go in a Prom dress and look like you were dressed appropriately. The four of them had a great time at dinner, which kind of surprised Puck. But not Rachel. She knew they'd have a lovely evening together.

…

The night of Quinn's dance, Josh just kept thinking about how she had tried to ask him to show up. Like she wanted him to rescue her from her date with that giant drumming tool, Finn. He kept messing around with his guitar, pacing back and forth, before he finally decided to just do it. Most of the schools in the area held their Prom at the Civic Center, so Josh knew that's where Quinn would be that night. (And if she wasn't there, he'd drive on to McKinley High and see if the poor bastards had their Prom in their gym like he had at the Christian Academy a few years ago.)

It wasn't uncommon for it to be rainy in April, and what started as a light drizzle was starting to get heavier. Drizzle. Josh shook his head, recalling the nickname Finn had given Quinn's baby—the one Finn had thought was his instead of Puck's. Yeah, Josh thought Quinn needed a new man in her life instead of one she had such a tangled past with. That is, until he pulled up to the parking lot and spotted her with _him_.

Josh saw her running in the rain, holding her dress so she could avoid puddles. She was smiling, laughing. Beautiful. She looked so young and carefree. Not like the sexy teen mom she acted like around him. Finn picked her up in his arms to carry her through the rest of the parking lot. Josh saw Puckerman shrug and pick up Rachel effortlessly, following the laughing pair ahead of them.

Josh had a complete change of heart. What the fuck was he doing there? Why the hell did he dress up in a suit and think he could crash a high school prom? Seriously, what was wrong with him? She would be perfectly happy without him. Happier probably. It certainly made more sense. It was then that Josh decided to let Quinn go. He drove away. He had to stop himself from turning back around.

…

Finn was laughing as he gently set Quinn down in the covered entryway so they could walk into the ballroom together. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Quinn reached up to kiss him. "Thank you for carrying me through the rain, Finn," she giggled.

Puck and Rachel joined them in the entry. "Thanks for the ride, Noah!" Rachel laughed as she kissed him before he had a chance to set her down. She was wearing a short dress, so she didn't have the same problem Quinn had with puddles, but it was still a sweet gesture—and it was fun.

"Anytime, baby," he smiled.

The boys opened the double doors for the girls to walk through, and they all felt strangely at ease with each other in that moment. Like everything that had happened in the past was forgiven. None of them said the words out loud, but the looks they exchanged conveyed their mutual feelings.

…

They entered the ballroom and Rachel inhaled sharply. "It's like a dream," she breathed. The others looked at her with amusement, but they had to admit that from the outside the Civic Center did not reveal how wonderfully the ballroom would be decorated.

"May I have this dance, Rachel Berry?" Puck asked with a bow.

"I'd be honored, Noah Puckerman," smiled Rachel, placing her tiny hand in his. They walked onto the dance floor just as the song "Glitter in the Air" by Pink was ending.

_Have you ever wished for an endless night?  
Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight  
Have you ever held your breathe and asked yourself will it ever get better than tonight?  
Tonight_

"_Glitter in the Air_ just ended—and I'm still bedazzled by the rain. How fitting! There are little drops of glitter on me, see?!" Rachel exclaimed to an amused Puck. Then Rachel gave a little pout, "But it would have been more perfect if we hadn't missed the whole song. I want to have our first _slow_ dance."

"Well, you're in luck," Puck said, as they both heard another slow song starting. They began dancing to Paramore's _The Only Exception_.

"Perfect," Rachel replied.

Finn reached for Quinn rather sheepishly, and she settled comfortably into his arms for the first slow dance.

_When I was younger  
I saw my daddy cry  
And cursed at the wind  
He broke his own heart  
And I watched  
As he tried to reassemble it_

_And my momma swore that  
She would never let herself forget  
And that was the day I promised  
I'd never sing of love  
If it does not exist_

_But darlin,  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
_

Quinn thought maybe, just maybe Finn might be the only exception.

Rachel looked into Noah's eyes and knew that he was the one.

_  
Maybe I know, somewhere  
Deep in my soul  
That love never lasts  
And we've got to find other ways  
To make it alone  
Or keep a straight face_

_And I've always lived like this  
Keeping a comfortable, distance  
And up until now  
I had sworn to myself that I'm content  
With loneliness_

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk, but  
_

Rachel sang the chorus into his ear, and to her surprise, Noah joined in.

_  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception_

_I've got a tight grip on reality  
But I can't  
Let go of what's in front of me here  
I know your leaving  
In the morning, when you wake up  
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream_

_Oh---_

_You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception_

_And I'm on my way to believin'.  
Oh, and I'm on my way to believin'._

Puck reveled in the feeling of holding Rachel close as he ran his hands along her back. If it weren't for the fact that they had an empty house waiting for them when they decided they had enough of Prom, Puck would have been happy to spend the whole night at the dance. Well, maybe not the whole night.

…

Meanwhile, Mercedes arrived with Eric, who was grinning widely, braces and all. Kurt and Alex entered the ballroom together, arm-in-arm. This prompted Santana to grab Brittany for a dance, maneuvering her to where she spotted Jacob Ben-Israel with his notebook and camera. "Israel, get a picture of us, will you?"

…

As a series of hip hop songs started, the gleeks found themselves gravitating towards each other to enjoy some fun group dancing. As the rap by Ludacris kicked off the song _Break Your Heart_ by Taio Cruz, Santana announced that Puck's anthem was starting.

_Now listen to me baby_

_Before I love and leave you_

_They call me heart breaker_

_I don't wanna deceive you_

Puck raised his eyebrow at her and responded, "No way, it's more like Quinn with the two guys she's juggling."

_If you fall for me_

_I'm not easy to please_

_I might tear you apart_

_Told you from the start, baby from the start._

_I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart._

The elbow in the gut from Rachel and the hurt, shocked looks from Finn and Quinn all told Puck that his first impulse to speak had been the wrong one to follow. "Uh, sorry," Puck grunted to the offended parties. Santana raised her eyebrow in return and seemed to enjoy the awkward silence.

Thankfully, the silence was broken by Mr. Schuester making his way towards them—dancing. He did a spin, removed his jacket, and handed it to Mike. "Dance off?" he challenged.

"Oh, yeah, sweet!" Mike replied, handing off Mr. Schue's jacket to Brittany. The two of them busting a move eased the tension among the others as they cheered them on.

Brittany handed Santana the jacket while she watched Mike dance.

"I don't want this," Santana huffed.

"I'm just passing it like they did," Brittany explained. Santana shoved the jacket toward Matt.

"No way, I'm getting in on the dance off," Matt said, leaving Santana gaping. Then she watched Matt appreciatively as he kicked Mr. Schue's skinny white ass with his sizzling dancing skills that didn't come from the _eighties_.

Puck couldn't help but notice the way Miss Pillsbury was lusting after Mr. Schue. "Check it," Puck said to Rachel, motioning for her to look. "I think Miss P just creamed her panties."

"Eww. You're disgusting," said Rachel. But she was pretty sure he was right.

Quinn overheard Puck and wrinkled her nose. Finn looked at Miss Pillsbury with wide eyes and then back to Puck. "Dude, can you really tell that from here?"

…

After the impromptu dance off ended, with no winner officially decided (though everyone had declared their own winner mentally), Puck and Rachel decided it was a good time to leave the dance and head back to Rachel's empty house. The rest of the gleeks stayed to enjoy more of the Prom.

"You know, Tina," started Artie. "It is your Prom, and even though I'm your date, I won't be offended if you wanna dance with some of the other guys."

Tina looked him in the eyes, "Thanks, Artie, I appreciate that."

Artie shrugged and replied in his sexiest voice. "You're all dolled up in a fancy dress, lookin' all fine. You deserve to get your dance on, girl."

"How about you take me for another spin around the dance floor and then I'll think about it?" Tina grinned as she slid into Artie's lap.

"I'll take this opportunity to remind you that my penis is fully functional," Artie deadpanned, then waggled his eyebrows to show he was joking.

Tina giggled. She was glad she couldn't feel the evidence yet because that might be a little awkward at this moment. "Good to know. Check back in with me next year and we'll talk about making me a prom night cliché at our Senior Prom."

"Fair enough," Artie nodded calmly. Inside, he somehow reverted to Austin Powers, _Yeah, baby_.

…

Once they had exited the ballroom, Rachel commented, "Oh Noah, I'm impressed at how you deflected Santana's remark about being a heartbreaker, but I feel bad for how it turned on Quinn and Finn. Do you think we should go back and talk to them about it instead of sneaking away?"

"Nah, they're fine. We can talk to them on Monday. We've got a house all to ourselves and that takes precedence."

"Precedence? Nice usage!" Rachel giggled. "But of course the context would be sexual in nature."

"You know you love me," Puck grinned.

"Yes, you know I do," she smiled back, reaching out to place her left hand on his thigh.

Puck glanced down. "You have really cute hands."

"Aww," Rachel fawned. "Thanks, sweetie!"

Sweetie? Puck thought that was a new one. He wasn't so sure about it. As long as she didn't use it in front of anyone else, he'd probably be fine. He did just tell her she had _cute_ hands, so he didn't really have room to object. But he had just noticed how tiny and perfect they were with her nails all painted when she had rested on his leg. Puck pressed harder on the gas pedal before remembering that he was driving the Lexus, and he continued to drive just under the speed limit.

He couldn't wait to get her home. Rachel felt the same way.

… _Mature Scene_ …

In Rachel's room, they didn't even bother with music. They didn't have to conceal their activities and the only thing they needed to get in the mood was each other. As soon as they reached her bedroom, Rachel pushed him against her door and kissed him passionately. She was becoming increasingly confident with her sexuality.

And Puck thought confidence was sexy as hell.

"You're so hot. So beautiful," he told her. And he meant it. More than anything.

"Mmm," she moaned into his lips, arousing him more. His erection pitched quite a tent in his tuxedo pants, and Rachel pressed herself against him deliciously. The light pressure of her breasts on his chest highlighted the fact that they needed to get out of their clothes. So he began unzipping Rachel's dress.

She let him.

He took off his jacket and tie while she worked on the buttons of his shirt. He quickly rid himself of his pants and underwear, and his erection emerged at attention like the loyal member it was.

Puck grinned as he watched Rachel appreciate his length. He took in the sight of her in her lingerie and high heels. He kneeled in front of her as she stood, and he unclasped her bra, enjoying the sight of her boobs as he freed them. He hadn't even touched her before she arched toward him, clearly directing him. Oh yeah, that was fine by him. He was happy to attend to her needs.

Rachel shivered and sighed as he kissed her breasts, then he focused his mouth on one while he fondled the other. She pulsed with desire for him, and as if he knew, his hands slid down her sides and made their way down her body as he removed her last article of clothing.

Puck loved the sound of her gasp as he gripped her hips and attended to another important body part. She worked her hands over his shoulders, and when she began shuddering, she tried to pull him to his feet.

"Please, Noah."

"But I'm not done here," he said playfully.

"I need you…inside me. Please."

"Well, since you asked so nicely," he teased, as he scooped her up and laid her gently on her bed.

…

She let out another sexy gasp when he slipped inside her.

And as she clenched around him, Puck felt a tightening in his chest, and he thought that love was pretty fucking amazing.

… _End Mature Scene_ …

After recovering from an awesome weekend with Rachel after Prom, Puck headed out to Josh's for band practice. The girls both said they would do better to study for finals in a quiet environment. And that was fine with Puck. It gave him time to practice his song for Rachel without her hearing. Apparently Puck was overly excited about the prospect, because he arrived almost an hour early, so it was just him and Josh. He figured they'd be practicing their two Tal Bachman songs (his for Rachel and Josh's for Quinn), so he was surprised when Josh wanted to talk to Puck about Prom (?!).

"Well, since we've got some time before the other guys get here, how was Prom?" Josh asked nonchalantly.

"Are you serious?" Puck asked.

"Uh, well, I just wondered if it was fun or lame, whatever. Did you see Quinn?" Josh asked. Then he mumbled, "She seemed really happy."

Puck smirked. "Oh, now I get it. Yeah, I saw Quinn. Rachel and I hung out with Quinn and Finn most the night."

"And?"

"And what? It was a lame dance but it was alright. Rachel and I left early, so I don't know how long Quinn and Finn stuck around." Puck decided not to tell Josh that Finn had rented a hotel room. He didn't even know if they used it, and there was no reason to fuck with Josh's head. Ok, when Puck first met Josh, he would have jumped at the chance to fuck with his head. But something about the way Josh asked about Quinn…well, Puck wasn't going to screw with him about that. Even he had limits.

"That's cool. So she hasn't said anything to you since then? And she hasn't mentioned me at all, right?"

"Dude, I haven't talked to her since the Prom, and we didn't exactly talk about you since she was there with Finn." Puck raised his eyebrow at Josh, because seriously, what was up?

"Right. Well, anyway, I was thinking about a new song," Josh handed some music to Puck.

Puck looked it over and nodded. "Well, my part doesn't look too hard, so I'm down."

"It would really work best if we could add keyboards. I just don't know who to ask to play," said Josh.

"Well, I can play," shrugged Puck.

"Of course you do. I forgot that you're an emo songwriter in disguise. But I'll need you on guitar. So anyone else you know play?"

"Yeah. I can ask Rachel. She can play piano."

"Would she do it? Do you think your girl will flip out over the lyrics?"

"Nah, I'll just tell her it's your song, not mine. I'll tell her it's your breakup song with Lima. It kinda sounds like that, you know? Like a break up song."

Josh choked a little. "Break up song, with Lima…yeah, good one."

Puck eyed Josh. He was getting a strange vibe. Maybe Rachel's sixth sense was rubbing off on him. "Sure we can't just do it without the keyboard? Do you feel weird about Rachel joining the band for the show before New York or something?"

"No, man, it'd be great if you'll ask her. This song would really sound best with the keyboard part. I say, go big or go home."

"Ok, but I don't want Rachel to do keyboards for _Like Nobody Loves Me_. I still want that to be a surprise."

"No problem. I just want the last song we do to be perfect. The keyboard part will help. The final performance of the final performance, you know?"

"Dude, we're just going to New York for like, a _week_ in the summer. Then we'll be back playing at The Tavern again like usual." Puck thought Josh was being overly dramatic about the whole thing.

Josh didn't answer. He didn't have to, as Trey and Eddie had arrived.

When Trey found out that Josh had made a late addition to their song list, he made his own request. "Dude! You know I've wanted to do _Percussion Gun_!"

Once Trey started playing the opening drum line, Josh reminded him that the song really needs two drummers—hence why they've never played it before. Puck started to say something, and Josh knew what it was going to be, so he cut him off, "No, I don't want our last show to include that Finn dude who substituted for Trey and subs in for me at school with Quinn." Josh thought that just because he was going to encourage Quinn to break up with him with the performance; there was no reason he had to watch Finn be there to pick up the pieces. The movies in his head were enough.

"Whoa, dude, chill," said Puck. "I was actually gonna say that's a cool song, and I think I could learn it in time for the show. I haven't played in a long time, but we could try it since I'd have the easy part and Trey would do the fancy shit." (In elementary school, Puck thought that if two-left-feet-Finn could play drums, then surely he was coordinated enough to play. So he didn't have his own kit, but he had picked up the basics playing on Finn's, and then just playing on anything at all at home over the years.)

All the guys looked at Puck with wide eyes. "You're telling me that you play guitar, piano, and drums? You're a rare find, Puckerman," said Josh, with a hint of appreciation showing in his voice.

"Yeah, not much use for a one-man-band in a live show," he joked. "I guess I can do a lot of things half-assed. I'm not _really_ good at anything in particular though."

"Well, that's pretty unusual. Who do you know that is?" asked Josh casually.

"Who's not already famous," Eddie added quickly.

"Rachel," said Puck.

"Yeah, ok, I'll give you that one. But she's a special case. Exception to the rule," said Josh.

"Yeah, she's the exception," Puck said with a small smile.

Trey hit the snare. "I'm psyched to play dueling drums with you, man! I'll loan you a floor tom. But you better get your own sticks."

Josh was pleased too because he was recalling the lyrics to _Percussion Gun_, and they were really perfect for his plan. But there was one last problem. "Trey, about your _Percussion_ song—it's intended to have a piano player. Is it a problem that we don't have a real piano? Since this is your song request we're talking about here, I just want to be sure we get it sounding the way you want."

"The keyboard would cut it," Trey said. He really wanted to do the song and he was pleased that Josh was being so accommodating.

"But we don't have someone to play it," Eddie reminded Trey. He had missed Puck's conversation with Josh.

"I could ask Rachel to do it, if I'm already asking her to do _Shattered_," Puck offered. "Or we could do the songs without the keyboards, just sub in guitars."

"It would be really cool to do _Percussion Gun_ and _Shattered_ with keyboards…" Trey said. "Think she would mind helping us with them?"

"Are you kidding? Rachel loves performing. She'll be thrilled."

She was.

But Puck made sure that when they practiced, Rachel never heard the song he was planning to dedicate to her so it would be a surprise.

…

The next evening after school, Puck had a baseball game, but he came up with an idea for how Rachel could show she appreciated him in a way that didn't involve myspace videos or "sexual favors that made her uncomfortable". Rachel had watched the game from the stands and on the ride home, Puck made his suggestion. "So, I'm pretty sore from the game. And you know how you were looking for a way to show me you care? How about a massage? Like for sore muscles, _not_ a sexual massage." He wanted to be clear.

Rachel looked at him a bit hesitantly, "I don't know if I'm good at massage therapy, but if that is your preference, I will do it. I just need time to research some techniques and practice."

Puck smirked and shook his head. "Completely unnecessary. I'm sore now. I've been practicing my drumming skills, which I haven't done in a long time, plus guitar, plus baseball tonight…"

"You know, I'm really proud of you, Noah. It's quite amazing that you're such an accomplished musician."

Puck smiled genuinely, "Thanks, Rach." Then he smirked, "Are you trying to distract me?"

"Who me?" she batted her eyelashes at him innocently. "I just wish I could look over some information on the subject first," Rachel admitted.

"Just learn by doing. A massage isn't that big of a deal and not that different from what you're used to doing when…" he stopped himself because he didn't want to bring up that she's really _handsy_, so she just needed to transfer those skills. He would've said it if Rachel didn't seem to be shying away from _sexual favors_. This was all probably thanks to that family therapist she'd been seeing with her dads. That schmuck. "Uh, anyway, it's not really something you can mess up."

Rachel seemed to pick up on his meaning because she blushed. Surprisingly though, she said, "Ok, if you think I can do it without making your muscles feel worse, then that's what I'll do."

"Cool, thanks," said Puck casually. He was looking forward to this. He could really use a relaxing massage. And if the non-sexual massage turned sexy, he wouldn't complain.

It did turn sexual. And he didn't complain.

…

**A.N. **Part 2 posted immediately. Mature scene directly picking up from this point.


	26. Endings and Beginnings

Rachel's dads already expected her home late because of the game, and an extra few minutes for a massage wouldn't be noticed. Puck's mom was working and Sarah was spending the night at a friend's. So he drove Rachel straight to his house to cash in on Rachel's appreciation for being an awesome boyfriend. He led her up to his room and could tell that she was nervous, which he thought was kinda weird considering how many times she'd been there and what they'd done before—far more than a simple back rub. "What's wrong, baby?"

"Performance anxiety, I suppose," Rachel answered. "I dislike not being good at things. This is something I might not be good at doing."

"Rachel Berry with performance anxiety?" he joked. She didn't laugh, so he continued, "You do great things with those cute little hands of yours. Trust me—you'll be awesome at this." He pulled off his shirt and plopped face down on his bed. "Ok, go ahead."

Rachel gaped at him. "I need directions or something!"

Puck rolled over on his side to face her, propping up his head with one hand and patting the bed with the other. "Ok, sit here next to me, and I'll start talking you through it," he grinned. He couldn't believe she was taking this so seriously, but it was Rachel after all. She was quirky, but he dug that about her.

Every time Noah was shirtless, Rachel drank in the sight of him, and this time was no exception. It took her a moment to collect herself and sit next to him on the bed. God, he was so beautiful! Even when he turned back over so that she could massage his back, she could still admire his broad, muscular shoulders, the way his waist tapered to his narrow hips, the rise of his… Rachel cleared her throat and tried to focus on giving a good massage. "Where should I start?" she asked him.

"Umm...shoulders and neck. Just use both hands and start rubbing—do what you think would feel good if it were you and you had to hit the skins and swing a big ol' bat around all week," he directed. He was referring to his drumming and baseball practice, but his words sounded like innuendos.

But Rachel tried to do as he asked. "You can press harder," he told her. Rachel gave a huff of frustration.

"I can't apply pressure evenly sitting at this angle!"

"Then straddle me," Puck said simply. Easy solution.

"What? Where?" she squeaked.

Puck chuckled. "My ass. Just sit your little self down below my hips. It's no big deal."

…_Mature scene_…

So Rachel did. It's not as if he wasn't wearing his warm-up pants. He was only shirtless. And sure, Rachel was wearing a skirt, but he was her boyfriend, with whom she'd shared very intimate moments, and he asked for a massage. She wasn't sure why she was making such a big deal out of it, so she just sucked in her breath and continued admiring him as she rubbed her hands along his shoulder blades, his neck. She gently massaged his scalp, and he let out a sigh.

"Mmm. This is like that time when you washed the slushy out of my hair at school. Remember?"

"I remember," Rachel said softly, as she continued her circular motions.

"You were really good at that. I wanted you so badly that day."

"And now?" She realized what it sounded like she was asking him. "I mean, does it feel good now?"

"Yeah, Rach, it feels really good."

His affirmations helped her feel confident that giving a massage wasn't so hard. She used her fingernails to scratch his scalp a bit, and he sighed appreciatively. Then Rachel moved back to rub along his neck and shoulders. He made a few moans, which let her know she was doing it right. She worked her way down his lower back, following the line of his spine, making her way to rub his muscular hips, and in the process Rachel's eyes widened as she realized she was becoming aroused… That wasn't part of her plan. She tried to keep going and ignore the heat building between her thighs, the swelling she could feel pulsing there. But as she worked her way along his back, she realized she was rubbing herself against him (!) from her prime location on his firm, round… She felt a bit embarrassed by her brazenness. Rachel decided she had no choice but to own up to her shameful behavior. "Noah, you're so…sexy," she whispered to him, leaning down to reach his ear. Her body was flush against his. "I don't know if I can keep this up without…going farther than intended."

Puck flipped over, grabbing Rachel in the process. "Hey, there's no such thing as too far! I have no problems with a happy ending," he grinned. Rachel was now straddling him from the front, and as if on cue, she felt the beginnings of his erection.

"Are you sure you don't mind? I was trying to show you I care about you in a nonsexual way. I'm just so… attracted to you. You're so…beautiful. I don't know a better word to describe it; I'm sorry if it's not manly enough. In any case, I can't help myself," Rachel said, biting her lip in her nervous habit.

Puck thought it was so hot that she was worried about that. "It's me. Of course I don't mind if my sexy girlfriend wants to get me in the sack. I'm a stud. It's natural." Puck missed seeing Rachel roll her eyes at his comment because he pulled her into a kiss. It actually felt nice that she appreciated his body, strange as it might sound. He took pride in keeping himself in top physical condition, but it felt good to know that she liked it _and cared about his feelings_. He remembered when he first decided to seduce cougars, he went on a strict diet to make his muscles really stick out (yams only and limited water—basically if you dehydrate yourself, he'd learned, your skin pulls really tight over the muscles). It was almost worth it, but then he was exhausted and painfully thirsty after sex. So he hadn't been dehydrating himself for sake of his appearance, just working out, and she still thought he looked good. A definite plus and a huge turn on. He chuckled when Rachel began tugging at the waistband of his pants impatiently, and laughed when she gasped at the realization that he hadn't been wearing underwear (again). "Nothin' new, babe," he smirked.

Rachel laughed too. Then she smiled softly, seductively even, and leaned into him. "I think I should finish that massage." Straddling him again, she began rubbing his chest, then his shoulders. He let out another soft moan. Well Puck wasn't about to argue with that. If she was going to forget that she probably should get home soon, he wasn't going to waste this opportunity by reminding her!

"Feels good," he said, closing his eyes. He felt her remove her hands, but when he opened his eyes he saw she was removing her shirt. So he helped her by taking off her bra.

She worked both hands to massage his right arm, down to massage his palm, then each finger, pressing on the nail as she released.

Puck thought that was just what he needed, and then his eyelids flew open when he felt her suck on his index finger, nibbling at the end.

"Holy shit," he muttered. "That is so hot."

"Hmm," was Rachel's response, as she continued the action to finish his hand. She knew that he'd be ready for her to move on to perform a similar maneuver elsewhere. And the pulsing in her core told her she was ready too. She lavished attention on him, as he had done for her so many times before.

And when he finally entered her, she thought her heart would burst and her soul would leave her shuddering body.

…_End Mature Scene_…

Rachel was late getting home.

But it was so worth it.

…

**May, Junior Year**

The McKinley baseball players were heading up to the field for practice. Puck was telling Finn about his minor problem, while avoiding saying too much. He and Finn were fairly good friends again, but Finn and Rachel were good friends too, so Puck had to be careful. "So, I want to talk to that Jesse guy about what I heard in Florida. About the spy stuff. But I don't know his last name. You don't happen to remember it, do you? Or did you keep the program from Nationals? I bet his name is there."

"I don't remember his last name. He challenged me to a singing contest last year, though," Finn shook his head at the memory. "I just called him The Douche in my head."

"Yeah, me too," said Puck. "And you didn't keep a program, did you?"

"No, I was too busy thinking about Quinn and stuff I guess." Finn shrugged.

"Me too. I mean about Rachel though. I'm saying I had other stuff on my mind at the time than souvenirs."

"I get it," Finn gave a half-smile.

"Well, shit. I don't wanna ask Rachel about it and upset her," Puck said.

"What are you whining about now, Puck?" Azimio asked. He was also one of the guys who played football and baseball.

"Dude, I'm not whining. I'm trying to figure out how to find out details on this guy Rachel dated last year. I need to _find_ him. All I know is his first name and that he goes to Carmel. So yeah, not whining."

"Whatever, man," Azimio scoffed. "You wanna know details on the guy, ask your girl. Stop being a pussy about it just because you're whipped. Man up. Ask her. Then go kick the guy's ass. Simple—if you're not a pussy."

Puck glared at his teammate, but then answered, "Maybe you've got a point. I'll just ask her. If she won't tell me, I'll find some other way. Thanks, I guess, for the advice."

"Yeah, man," Azimio nodded. "Next time you need lessons on being badass, let me know. I'll see if I can refresh your memory."

Puck was saved from punching Azimio by Coach Tanaka calling them into the dugout.

…

They were studying for finals on Rachel's bed when Puck thought he'd be smooth and catch her while she was distracted by her work. "So, what's Jesse's last name?"

"St. James," Rachel answered without thinking. "Funny you should ask. He called me up out of the blue the other day." Then she narrowed her eyes and looked at Puck. "Wait, why do you ask?"

Puck was still steaming over the idea that El Doucherino had actually called Rachel, but he now he had to come up with the answer of why he asked. Puck hadn't thought this through. He tried to conceal the look of terror on his face. "Just curious."

"Curious, why? What are you going to do?"

"Nothing. What can I do with his last name? I'm just testing a theory." A theory he just pulled out of his ass upon hearing that fruit-tard's last name.

"Oh, do enlighten me," Rachel said, facing him.

"Uh, ok," he said a bit nervously, then he looked at her confidently. His theory kicked ass. "I think that you were all about Finn and Jesse but ready to break up with me right away last year because the names _Rachel Hudson_ and _Rachel St. James_ sound better in lights over Broadway than _Rachel Puckerman_." Puck was pleased with his half-assed theory that would keep Rachel from prying into the real reason he wanted Jesse's last name, until the look on Rachel's face made him realize what he just said. _Shit_. Her eyes got really big and black, then she started smiling—one of the smiles that's so wide he thought her face might split in two—beautiful, but a shitload of scary was behind that smile too.

Rachel couldn't contain her smile, even as she denied the accusation. "While you have a point regarding the way the names sound, I've always intended to use Rachel Berry as my stage name, or perhaps Rachel Marie. I have no need to take my future husband's name into consideration."

"Ok, Berry, we're just seventeen, you know?" Puck couldn't believe he'd mentioned anything close to marriage!

"I'm aware of our ages, Noah," Rachel said seriously. And that freaked him the fuck out. Then Rachel shoved him playfully and smiled. "Don't be silly. I'm not planning our wedding or anything."

"Oh, thank God," Puck sighed.

"I'll leave that to your mother," Rachel said, turning back to her books, a small smile on her face.

…

Puck was shaken, but pleased that his diversion had worked to take Rachel's focus away from his evil plan to track down Jesse St. James and confront his ass. He decided that he could still keep his evil villain status based on this stroke of quick thinking; rather than being reduced to henchman status for poor planning. So he proceeded to his next step. This required his personal charm, so he hoped there would be a girl working in the attendance office at Carmel High. He could maybe pull the same thing over on a gay kid, but he cringed to think about it. And to get to Carmel to get Jesse's address, he'd have to skip half the day at school, but he thought it was worth it.

Fortunately for Puck, before he left school, he had computer lab third period, and he had another (delayed) stroke of genius. Maybe there wouldn't be very many people with the last name St. James in Carmel, so he'd use the White Pages online first. As luck would have it, there were only two listings for St. James, so Puck wrote down the addresses and phone numbers of both, and was saved from skipping the rest of the school day.

He could move on to part three of his plan right away. Another diversion for Rachel.

So Puck caught up with Finn.

…

"Wait, you want me to take Rachel out? Dude, are you feeling ok?"

"Not on a date, obviously, dicklet," Puck rolled his eyes. "I just need you to do one of those friend date things you do, so I can take care of some business without Rachel getting all worried."

Finn narrowed his eyes. "I don't like the sound of that. You better not be screwing around on Rachel."

"Fuck no!" Puck protested. "There's absolutely no problem in that department, you know?"

Finn winced. He still didn't like to think about Puck _with_ Rachel. Puck was so…Puck, and Rachel was so…Rachel. "Well, I'm not going to agree to this unless I know what you're up to."

"Ok…" Puck said conspiratorially, "but you can't tell Rachel."

"I won't lie to her," Finn said firmly.

"Fine. Just don't mention it. And if she directly asks you what I'm doing, then you have my permission to tell her about my last fight at fight club."

"Ok, that sounds fair," Finn replied.

"Awesome. So ask her to do something after school on Friday, and I'll owe you one."

"How many do you owe me now, Puck?" Finn asked pointedly.

"I guess you have a free pass for a long time, man, a long time."

…

Friday immediately after school, Puck made the drive to Carmel. He called the two phone numbers for St. James on the way and figured out the correct address. And he was lucky enough to pull up to the house just as Jesse was pulling into his driveway.

"Hey, Jesse, over here," Puck called from his truck. And damned if Jesse didn't saunter on over. Like a lamb to the slaughter. Puck stepped into the street, then over to the sidewalk.

"Puck, right?" Jesse asked curiously. "What can I do for you? Are you upset that I called Rachel? I just wanted to tell her that I'm moving to New York after graduation."

"I want to talk about what I overheard at Nationals. About how Shelby made you try to get with Rachel."

"Coach Corcoran didn't really make me do anything. But your Coach Sylvester got to her, and she _suggested_ that I could be of help. And I wanted to be a team player, you know? But then, I started to really like Rachel. She's one in a million. Really talented."

"And does Rachel know all this? About the spying?" Puck asked.

"I doubt it. But I'd be happy to explain the situation, if that's what you came here to ask. What _did_ you come here for, specifically?"

"Specifically? To ask you that and to tell you that Rachel is with me, so give it up. I don't trust you, so I want you to stop calling her, stop messing with her head."

"I think Rachel can make her own decisions. I'm pretty sure she'll want to talk to me about certain music-related topics. Especially now that I'll be heading off to the Great White Way. Face it, you're not Broadway material," said Jesse.

"No shit, Sherlock. I'm not planning on being a gay Broadway star." Puck said sourly.

"Exactly. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm just stating facts."

"I guess being a jerk just comes naturally," Puck sneered.

"I suppose you're right," Jesse replied seriously. "Look, this is my senior year," he started.

Puck interrupted. "I thought you were a senior last year."

"Yeah, it's the Carmel High five-year plan for Vocal Adrenaline. Anyway, this is my last month in Lima, then I'll be going off to New York to make it big. You can have Rachel for one more year. But then she'll be following me to Broadway, and you'll be left in Ohio."

"I'll go to New York with her—there's more than Broadway in New York."

"Of course there is," Jesse said condescendingly. "But something will happen. You'll get that football scholarship to OSU. No wait, that's ridiculous." Jesse ignored Puck's scowl. "Still, even if you do follow Rachel to New York, you'll be powerless to stop the inevitable. I'll be the hot male lead. She'll be the stunning young starlet. Everyone will root for us to become a couple. We'll share an onstage kiss. You'll get jealous. Question her. She'll get upset. And she'll come to me for comfort. And then, I'll be the one she chooses." Jesse was very satisfied with his tale of the future.

He didn't even register Puck's fist flying at his face until it was too late. Jesse heard the sound of flesh and bone, and absently thought that the movie sound effects were fairly accurate. Then the pain flared across his face and his thoughts were muddled for a few seconds.

"You stay the fuck away from Rachel," Puck growled menacingly.

"Did you have to go for the face?" Jesse whined, nursing his jaw. His head was beginning to clear even though his whole head felt like it was pulsing with pain. He thought he could feel the swelling start already.

"Yep. You fucking deserve it." He had to punch that smug look off the bastard's face. It was unavoidable.

"Well, let's call a truce. I'll leave Rachel alone for now. I'm confident I'll catch up with her in New York. And after what I saw of her in Florida, I can tell that ass is worth the wait." Ok, maybe Jesse's head wasn't completely clear because after the words left his mouth, he knew he shouldn't have said them.

Puck punched him again, twice in the gut, then another blow that glanced off Jesse's ribs as he went down. "You asked for it, but I spared your face, fuckwad." Puck figured if he broke any bones, this douchebag would sue him or some stupid shit like that. But if he just bruised him up a bit, he'd probably let it go. "And if you don't stay away from Rachel, I won't be so generous."

Split knuckles never felt so good, Puck thought as he left Jesse doubled-over on the sidewalk.

…

Rachel was enjoying her time at the mall with Finn to help him pick something for his mom for Mother's Day. She felt only a slight twinge of sadness for the fact that she didn't have mother to spend the holiday with, but she was grateful for her loving fathers. They stopped at coffee bar for a pick-me-up, when Finn asked, "So…does Quinn ever talk to you about me?"

"I'm sorry, Finn we don't really talk about those sorts of things when we're together."

"But you two talk about him, don't you?"

"N-Puck?" Rachel squeaked.

"No! The singer. Whatshisname."

"Oh, Josh. Well, not really, lately. Mostly Quinn and I just do our homework together while we listen to the band practice. Is that why you asked me to meet you today, Finn? To ask me about Quinn?"

"Uh, kinda, but not really. And Puck said if you asked me I didn't have to lie. So the truth is that Puck asked me to distract you today while he went to his fight club for the last time. He said you'd probably worry and disapprove, but it was something he had to do one last time."

Rachel's brow furrowed in confusion. "Fight club? Is that a real thing?" Then she had an idea. "Finn, do you think fight club is a cover story too? To conceal, I mean hide, another reason why Puck might look like he got into a fight?"

This time Finn's brow furrowed. Rachel could almost see the gears turning in his head. She wished they'd hurry up; but she didn't want to chase the idea out of Finn's brain, so she sat quietly, waiting. "You know, you might be right, Rachel. Before Puck asked me to take you out, we were talking about how he could find out Jesse's last name. And then Azimio started ragging on him for being a pussy."

Rachel gasped, "I told him Jesse's last name! Oh that little devil!"

"So…you think Puck's going to fight Jesse?" Finn asked slowly.

"Yes, Finn, I do."

"What do you want to do about it?"

"I'm texting Jesse right now to warn him, then I'll text Puck to try to stop him," Rachel said, fingers flying furiously over her phone. Just as she was starting her message to Noah, she got a reply from Jesse.

"Too late," said his first message.

"He found me," said his second text. Rachel abandoned her message to Noah to call Jesse. Finn looked on, confused.

"What happened?" Rachel asked Jesse on the phone. Finn wasn't sure what to do. Was it impolite to sit there and listen, or was it worse to walk away? Surprisingly, he spotted Tina and Mercedes walking the mall corridor, so he motioned them over, then they all took seats next to Rachel's table. Finn told them that Rachel was talking to Jesse, so they should stick around to find out what was happening.

…

Jesse was thrilled to get Rachel's message and phone call. It couldn't have gone any better if he'd planned it. Well, he did have a swollen jaw and bruised ribs out of the deal, but otherwise, the outcome was pretty good. Puck may have won the battle, but he was definitely going to win the war, Jesse decided.

…

Rachel and Finn told the story they had pieced together with each other and with the added information Rachel had from her phone call with Jesse.

"So now, I just have to figure out what to say to Noah," Rachel sighed.

"What do you mean, girl?" Mercedes asked. "Maybe it's because I have older brothers, but I have to defend Puck on this one. It sounds to me like that boy did you a favor by giving that Jesse kid what he had coming to him. If Puck hadn't done it, I'd have taken Jesse to the carpet for sure!"

"But I don't want Noah to resort to violence to solve things. He could get in so much trouble! He could get suspended or Jesse could press charges for assault!"

"Well, that would be a douchey thing to do," commented Finn.

"Nevertheless, Jesse would be within his rights to do that," Rachel snapped back. Then she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Finn. I'm just upset. I don't want Noah to continue to make poor choices that could affect his potential in the future. Criminal charges and suspensions are not good things to have on one's record. He already has some issues with poor academic performance to contend with in order to get into college, and that's really the least of his worries if he continues to use violence."

"Maybe you should just explain that to Puck," said Tina, putting a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Make him understand why you're upset and why it's important so he won't do it again."

"And then make him apologize," Mercedes added.

"Thanks, you guys," Rachel gave a small smile. "You've all be really great about this. I think I'm ready to go home now, Finn, if that's ok."

"Sure, Rach, no problem."

…

When Rachel got home, she still hadn't heard from Noah, but she had never messaged him either. She considered calling him, but decided it was good that she had some time to think on her own. Rachel thought about the various incarnations of her relationships with Noah Puckerman. She thought about all his traits—the ones that she loved and the ones that…needed improvement. She prepared to make a myspace video to express herself and help her explain things to Noah. After debating on the right song, she picked Yardley's _Betting High_.

_Miles around, and not a thing_

_But my heart touched you_

_Prostrate down, discovering_

_A need for you_

_I've getting by_

_With no clue_

_Now I'm betting high_

_On you_

_Clear my head_

_And off to sleep_

_A spinning wheel_

_Am I dead?_

_A pale faced creep_

_Afraid to feel_

_I've getting by_

_With no clue_

_Now I'm betting high_

_On you_

_Why don't you take these things, all muddy brown?_

_I'm sick of this, I'm sick of this; it's where you are; ask around_

_Yeah—yeah_

_Hey, yeah. Uh-huh, yeah_

_I've getting by_

_With no clue_

_Now I'm betting high_

_On you_

_I've been doing fine_

_But who knew?_

_I'd be betting high_

_On you_

_Clear my head_

_And off to sleep…_

Rachel blew a kiss at the end of the video and stopped the recording. It wasn't too long after she had uploaded it that she got a message from her boyfriend asking if he could come over. Of course she messaged he should—as soon as he watched her latest video on myspace. "It will facilitate the discussion," she typed to him.

…

Puck stood in her bedroom doorway, hands conveniently hidden in the pockets of his jeans. Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her toe on the carpet. "Well, what do you have to say?"

"Uh, I watched your video. So, you have to really spell it out for me. I don't know exactly what you mean by that one."

"Really? It wasn't clear?" Rachel frowned. "Well, I was thinking about a different song, so let's see if that one says it better."

"Does it have to be a song? You can't just talk?"

"I'd prefer to get my meaning across in song, and then hear your response. Your response can be in words instead of song though."

Puck just nodded his acquiescence and settled down on her bed, crossing his arms to subtly cover the minor damage on his knuckles.

Rachel set up her camera to record this performance too. No reason not to combine singing to Noah with her myspace obligations.

Puck heard the pop song begin and recognized it from his little sister's collection. He quirked an eyebrow at Rachel, "Seriously, Berry?"

"Shh. I'm recording this for myspace," she mouthed, pointing to the camera on the other side of the bed. And Rachel sang Miley Cyrus' "7 Things" to Puck (and her loyal myspace viewers).

_I probably shouldn't say this  
But at times I get so scared  
When I think about the previous  
Relationship we shared _

_It was awesome but we lost it  
It's not possible for me, not to care  
And now we're standing in the rain  
But nothing's ever gonna change until you hear,  
My dear_

_The 7 things I hate about you  
The 7 things I hate about you, oh you  
You're vain, your games, you're insecure  
You love me, you like her  
You make me laugh, you make me cry  
I don't know which side to buy  
Your friends, they're jerks  
When you act like them, just know it hurts  
I wanna be with the one I know  
And the 7th thing I hate the most that you do  
You make me love you_

Rachel had gone from looking angry to biting her lip shyly. Puck wanted to get up and kiss her. Then she put her game face back on.

_It's awkward and it's silent  
As I wait for you to say  
What I need to hear now  
Your sincere apology  
When you mean it, I'll believe it  
If you text it, I'll delete it  
Let's be clear  
Oh, I'm not coming back  
You're taking 7 steps here_

Puck stood up and walked to her to say he was sorry, but she shoved him back down on the bed. She was surprisingly strong. (Hot!)

_The 7 things I hate about you  
You're vain, your games, you're insecure  
You love me, you like her  
You make me laugh, you make me cry  
I don't know which side to buy  
Your friends, they're jerks  
When you act like them, just know it hurts  
I wanna be with the one I know  
And the 7th thing I hate the most that you do  
You make me love you_

Now Rachel was smiling brightly.

_And compared to all the great things  
That would take too long to write  
I probably should mention  
The 7 that I like_

_The 7 things I like about you  
Your hair, your eyes, your old Levi's  
When we kiss I'm hypnotized  
You make me laugh, you make me cry  
But I guess that's both I'll have to buy  
Your hand in mine  
When we're intertwined, everything's alright  
I wanna be with the one I know  
And the 7th thing I like the most that you do  
You make me love you  
You do…_

This time Rachel didn't stop Puck from kissing her and apologizing. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I'm an idiot. I just love you so fucking much." He kissed her again, pulling Rachel down onto her bed with him. She melted momentarily.

"Wait, do you even know what I want you to apologize for?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah…" Puck said reluctantly. "I'm sorry I punched Jesse for being a spy and trying to worm his way into your pants."

"And?" asked Rachel expectantly.

Puck searched his brain. "And for being sneaky about it?"

Rachel nodded and Puck sighed with relief that he got it right. "Apology accepted. But you really do need to think about the consequences of your actions, Noah. What if you had gotten in trouble? You could jeopardize your future and everything we've been working toward this year!"

"What can I say? It took seventeen years to get this stupid," Puck said.

Rachel looked upset. "Please do not act so self-deprecating. You may have had made poor choices, but you most certainly are not stupid. In the future, however, please consult me rather than trying to pull something off behind my back."

"You're right. We probably could have come up with way better revenge together."

"Exactly. Wait, no." But Puck started kissing Rachel again, preventing coherent thoughts from forming and making their way from her brain to her mouth.

It wasn't until he had taken off his shirt and was starting on hers that Rachel realized the camera was still recording. "Oh, just let me turn off the camera."

Puck's eyes widened and he smiled wolfishly. "Leave it on."

"What?!"

"Just do it. We'll just watch it after. Just us. No myspace viewers or anything like that. Just for us."

"And then we'll delete immediately?"

"Sure. Well, you're going to save the song part right? You can just edit out our ending."

Rachel nodded reluctantly.

Puck racked his brain to figure out if he had some way to save the file before she deleted it. But those thoughts had to wait because he was about to co-star in a movie (!).

…

Rachel was relieved when they watched the recording and realized that they hadn't bothered to adjust the camera down towards the bed, so it was pointing above where they were most of the time. Most of the time. There were moments when one or both of them would enter the frame.

It was embarrassing.

And a little hot.

Mostly embarrassing.

Rachel also realized that she didn't have quite the in-depth discussion with Noah she had intended to have. She decided once again that the lesson would have to be delivered in small doses over time, with rewards to facilitate learning.

…

That Saturday, Puck arrived to pick Rachel up for the big "farewell concert" at The Tavern, as Josh had been calling it. He was not prepared for the sight of Rachel coming down the stairs. She was wearing a tiny dark denim mini-skirt, a purple blouse, and black heels. She carried a black sequined clutch with her. She had done her makeup a bit more dramatic than usual, with black eyeliner and a smoky eye, finished with glossy lips.

"Shit, Berry."

"What's wrong?"

"I just wasn't expecting to see you in a shorter skirt than usual."

"What? I'm just trying to look the part of the girl in the band."

"Uh-huh. You've got legs and guys've got eyes. Can you even sit without showing panty?"

"What panties?"

"Shit."

"I'm just teasing." Rachel swatted Puck.

"You're killing me just by what you wearing, no teasing required. You, wearing that tiny skirt with those fuck me heels, killing me."

"Those what? Never mind. Don't repeat that. Should I change?"

"No, are shitting me? You look totally hot. I just wouldn't mind if the rest of the world saw a little less of your hotness, but I'll deal."

"Good," Rachel smiled as they headed out the door. "I want to look good for you. I want to look like we belong together."

"We belong together, baby. No question."

…

Puck helped Rachel into his truck, checking out the view. Good, she _was_ wearing panties. Bad that the world could totally see them. They were hot pink. He'd have to figure out how to set up the keyboards on stage so that the audience wouldn't get more of a show than they paid for, because, _damn_! As he drove, he mentally arranged the stage. The only thing he could come up with was to face the keyboard bench toward the drum kit, giving Trey the full access view. But that was better than the whole audience, he supposed. _Shit_.

They arrived and started setting up, with Rachel involved in sound check for the first time. She was a total diva about it too. Puck just smirked and shrugged. That was his girl.

Quinn was hanging out backstage, waiting for a chance to say hello to Josh and wish them all luck before the show. But to her disappointment, Josh seemed to be running around making sure everything was perfect, and all he did was give her a nod when he noticed her. He stayed on stage from sound check right up to the first song. Rachel told Quinn that Josh had been talking about this show forever and planning to get everything right, so she shouldn't feel bad that he didn't greet her properly.

"Oh, I guess I haven't been around at the practices enough to realize how important this show was to him compared to the other shows."

Rachel smiled. "Yes, he's been calling this show the 'Big Farewell Concert', and he keeps saying little things like 'Go big or go home'. It's been quite amusing."

The girls watched to show in silence, bobbing their heads along to the songs they liked. At the end of the set, Puck made an announcement. "Hey, everyone, thanks for coming out tonight! I'm going to take the lead vocals on this song, dedicated to my girl, Rachel. _You Love Like Nobody Loves Me_." Puck caught Rachel's eye and winked at her.

Quinn grabbed Rachel's hand and gave it a squeeze. "So romantic," she mouthed. Rachel used her other hand to fan herself in fake swooning (which mimicked her true emotions).

_I'm a difficult man  
I admit I'm not easy  
At the drop of a tear  
I can turn right away_

_And all the heartaches I've seen  
One after another  
Can make a man mean enough  
To feel afraid_

_**And nobody cares no one really knows me  
And nobody shares the other side of me**__  
But you love like nobody loves me_

_I was there all the time  
Even I couldn't find me  
So how did you see? What made you believe?_

_**And nobody cares no one really knows me  
And nobody shares the other side of me**__  
But you love like nobody loves me_

_  
You delivered my heart  
One beat at a time after time after time_

_**And nobody cares no one really knows me  
And nobody shares the other side of me**__  
But you love like nobody loves me_

_  
So how did you see? What made you believe?_

…

At the close of the song, Josh announced they'd take a quick break and be back out for a planned encore.

Josh headed straight for his water bottle, and Quinn swooped in to give him a kiss and congratulate him on a great show.

"Thanks, babe," Josh said. He reached past her to grab a towel to wipe his face.

Rachel was bouncing up and down in front of Puck. "Such a beautiful song! So full of meaning! Of course I love you: I have exquisite taste," Rachel stated, to Puck's amusement. She continued, "And have I mentioned I'm completely in awe of your musical talent?"

"Uh, no, you haven't. Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. I am an impeccable judge of both character and talent. You know, someday when you make your own record, you won't have to hire other musicians to play the instruments you can play. That will save you money when you're first starting out and help you break into the business. Really, I'm so proud of you. And I can't wait to accompany you on stage for the encore."

Puck grinned—like an idiot, he knew.

"Glad you're ready," interrupted Josh, "'Cause we can't keep them waiting any longer for the encore or they're just gonna leave before you get to join us."

"Oh, of course," Rachel said.

Josh headed back to the microphone. "This will be the band's last performance at The Tavern for awhile."

"Aww," came from the crowd.

"But we'll be in New York this summer, trying to make it big. So hey, if you're in Manhattan, well, Brooklyn, look for us. We're The Relentless."

Josh paused for the scattered applause and shouts of encouragement. He was also giving Puck time to finish setting up his drum station, which seemed to be taking longer than expected. (Puck was putting himself between Trey and Rachel so that Trey wouldn't get to look up Rachel's skirt.)

"Ok, for our last two songs, we have some keyboard accompaniment. He motioned for Rachel to join them on stage. Give the lovely lady a hand." Rachel curtsied as she took her seat. "Puckerman will be joining Trey on this next one, but don't worry, ladies, he'll be back at front and center after this one," Josh winked at the crowd. Puck grinned too. He was actually looking forward to his debut on the drums. Trey was at his drum kit as usual, but they had an extra floor tom and sticks for Puck.

Puck and Trey started _Percussion Gun_ on the drums, and Josh opened with the vocals.

_Well, how do you do?_

_The kiss on the cheek_

_It's been a while_

_So I'll just beg, borrow, and steal all your time_

_We'll call it dignified_

_Well, now it seems to be cut and dry_

_So __**I know **__which way to run_

_**You're tired my love, I feel the same**_

Puck smirked as Rachel pounded the keys but managed to look like a concert pianist instead of a girl in a band.

_Well, take it from me_

_What else could you do?_

_Now, where do you get __**off**__?_

_And how can I get there, too?_

_Ah, in time, we'll call it dignified_

_Well, now it seems to be cut and dry_

_**So I know**__ which way to run_

_**You're tired my love, and I feel the same**_

Rachel joined the guys for the 'ooh's'.

_**Ooooh, oooh**_

_You'll never come back_

_My god, can't you see that?_

_I know which way to run_

_**You're tired my love, I feel the same**_

_**The [letter, long], won't speak my name **_

_**Ooooh, oooh**_

Puck winked at Rachel while she played and he and Trey paused from their drumming. She smiled and winked back. The lyrics were kinda sad, but the song was a trip to play, Puck thought.

_Well, everyone's saying rise and shine_

_It might not be true, and that's just fine_

'_Cause I know which way to run_

_**You're tired my love, I feel the same**_

_**The [letter, long,] won't speak my name**_

_**Now even [as we] jump this ship**_

_**Ah, just give me some peace of mind 'cause I**__…_

_**Oooh, oooh**__…_

Eddie's bass line ended the song amid the cheers of the crowd.

"Give Puckerman a hand for his drum work, as he makes his way back up front to join me on guitar." Josh paused for the applause. "And now we've come to our final song. You may know it; it's _Shattered_ from O.A.R. This one's dedicated to the girl backstage."

Rachel hesitated upon hearing those words but brushed it off. She always looked too deeply into song lyrics, and the band was waiting for her to start. Rachel began the playing the notes.

Quinn was listening intently, alone backstage. The title sounded ominous, but she couldn't place the song. When she heard a song dedicated to her (even if Josh referred to her as 'the girl backstage') she was expecting that _40 Dogs_ one, not _Shattered_.

Josh steeled himself for this performance. Go big or go home, he told himself.

_In a way, I need a change  
From this burnout scene  
Another time, another town  
Another everything  
But it's always back to you  
_

Quinn had a small smile on her face when Josh looked at her from his place on stage. But for some reason, his eyes looked cold and gray instead of their usual soft blue.

_  
Stumble out, in the night  
From the pouring rain  
Made the block, sat and thought  
There's more I need  
It's always back to you_

_**But I'm good without ya  
Yeah, I'm good without you  
Yeah, yeah, yeah  
**_

The smile slipped off of Quinn's face.

_  
How many times can I break till I shatter?  
Over the line can't define what I'm after  
I always turn the car around  
__**Give me a break let me make my own pattern  
All that it takes is some time but I'm shattered  
I always turn the car around  
**__  
I had no idea that the night  
Would take so damn long  
Took it out, on the street  
While the rain still falls  
Push me back to you_

_**But I'm good without ya  
Yeah, I'm good without you  
Yeah, yeah, yeah  
**__  
__**How many times can I break till I shatter?  
Over the line can't define what I'm after  
I always turn the car around  
Give me a break let me make my own pattern  
All that it takes is some time but I'm shattered  
I always turn the car around  
**__  
Ohh, Give it up, give it up, baby  
Give it up, give it up, now  
__**Now **__  
_

Rachel thought of poor Quinn alone backstage. The songs were like a one-two punch. Was that the intention? Josh seemed like a clever guy, so how could he not notice the lyrics?

_  
How many times can I break till I shatter?  
Over the line can't define what I'm after  
I always turn the car around  
__**All that I feel is the realness I'm faking  
Taking my time but it's time that I'm wasting  
Always turn the car around  
**__  
__**How many times can I break till I shatter?  
Over the line can't define what I'm after  
I always turn the car around  
**__  
__**Don't wanna turn that car around  
**__I gotta turn this thing around_

Quinn was shaking, holding back tears. Did this mean what she thought it meant?

…

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered by the dedication or upset because of the song," Quinn said as soon as Josh walked off stage.

"That's up to you, babe," he shrugged. Then he looked away from her as he set his guitar in its case.

"Well, that depends on if you picked that song for a reason." She didn't want to assume too much.

"Yeah, I did pick it for a reason," he said as he snapped the case shut.

Rachel looked at Puck, wondering just how much he knew. He didn't seem surprised, so she feared that he knew this was coming. She was furious for Quinn's sake. Everyone in the band tried to act like they weren't listening to Josh and Quinn as they started packing up the instruments.

"Well, please tell me why you dedicated that song to me," Quinn said, trying to keep herself composed. "It wasn't the one I was expecting."

"Sure, I'll tell you." He turned and looked her in the eyes. "The only reason I asked Puckerman to set me up with a friend of Rachel's was because I thought I'd be getting some ass. That didn't work out like I thought." This part wasn't too hard for Josh to say since that really was his original intent. From the look on her face, he could tell Quinn believed it. It sucked, but he had to keep it up.

"You're not who I thought you'd be," Quinn whispered, looking at the floor. She shook her head in disbelief at herself for thinking that Josh might be the more mature choice for her.

"Neither are you."

"What did you think I'd be?" Quinn looked up at him, eyes burning with unshed tears.

"A good lay," he retorted.

"How would you even know?" she huffed. Quinn's ice-bitch attitude was creeping back. She needed that strength now.

"Exactly! We started dating in what, January? It's May now, Quinn. May! Do you know how long that is for a guy to go without sex?!" This part wasn't too hard for Josh to say either.

Puck nodded his head in agreement automatically. Rachel elbowed him sharply in the gut. But neither of them spoke as they continued to listen intently.

Quinn just glared back at Josh, arms crossed over her chest.

"I bet you're giving it up to that idiot Finn and holding out on me," Josh said.

That was the nail in the coffin. Quinn slapped him across the face with all the force she had. Then she ran from backstage to the parking lot. Rachel rushed after her. Puck gave Josh a look that Josh couldn't read, and then he followed Rachel out.

Josh rubbed his cheek tenderly. It hurt. It hurt to let her go, but it was probably for the best. For her.

Thank God he was leaving for the summer soon. He hoped that would help dull the ache.

He was going to miss her. The way you miss something you never really had in the first place.

…

Quinn had driven to The Tavern herself, with the idea of spending time with Josh afterward. She thanked Rachel for her concern, but said that she just wanted to get home before she completely lost it. So Puck and Rachel followed Quinn in Puck's truck to make sure she was ok to drive.

"Wow, so Josh really did turn out to be a jerk!" exclaimed Rachel. "I can't even believe the things he said!" Her face was flushing with anger. And her heart ached for Quinn too.

"Yeah…" was all Puck said.

"You don't sound convinced. Normally you'd be the first to rail about his jerkness."

"I don't know, he wasn't acting normal. Like he was doing it on purpose."

"Being a jerk on purpose, that sounds right," huffed Rachel, crossing her arms.

"He looked like someone made him swallow a dirty sock."

Rachel regarded him blankly. "I have no idea what to make of that. I don't have any basis for comparison regarding sock swallowing."

Puck continued, "Ok, he was also sweating way more than usual."

"So?"

"And like some of the sweat was coming from his eyes. His _eyes_ were _sweaty_, Berry."

"What does that even mean? Honestly, you're not making any sense."

"You know, like it was raining on his face? Flight of the Conchords? Nothin'?"

"Just say what you mean." Rachel was getting frustrated by Puck's brand of metaphors.

Puck felt a bit bound by the Bro Code, even though it was Josh. Lately Josh had been kind of like an older brother that he never had, so he didn't want to come out and say that he thought Josh was practically crying, but Rachel wasn't getting his hints. At all. He made a mental note to make her watch Season 1 of _Flight of the Conchords_ since she'd made him watch _Veronica Mars_. "I think I saw some _tears_ in his eyes during the show, Berry! I mean, I think it was like in one of those cartoons where the little kid throws the rock at the dog to get it to leave for its own good, but the kid's like crying and stuff?"

"What in the world are you talking about? What kind of terrible cartoons did you watch as a child?"

"Ok, maybe it wasn't a cartoon. But a movie, like _Old Yeller_ or something."

"There were no such scenes in _Old Yeller_," she replied indignantly.

"Rachel, it doesn't matter. I'm just trying to explain!" He was getting frustrated too. He wasn't good with words. "It's like he was breaking up with her even though he didn't want to, and he knew the way to do it was to make her seriously pissed."

Rachel scoffed. "If Josh was acting, then maybe he should come to the acting program with me this summer."

"Or maybe he was acting, and he's so good that he doesn't need the summer program," Puck retorted.

"Touché," said Rachel, sounding impressed. "But really, do you have any other reasons, besides his so-called _sweaty eyes_, to think that Josh was breaking up with Quinn for her own good? If he liked her, it really doesn't make sense to treat her that way."

"Well, there's a little more to it than that," said Puck reluctantly.

"Tell me."

So Puck abandoned the Bro Code. It wasn't the first time.

"Ok, before Prom, he was like floating around like a fairy—sorry," he paused seeing Rachel scrunch her nose when he said 'fairy'. He didn't really mean it as a gay insult. "I'm saying he was like a Disney character, ok? Just so obviously into Quinn. Then after Prom, he was asking a lot of questions about how things went… He kinda acted like he _actually saw_ Quinn there. He said something about how happy she _looked_ with Finn. I didn't really think anything of it at the time. But now I think he saw them, maybe when we were in the parking lot on the way in, I don't know."

Rachel nodded, thinking about how she thought Quinn and Finn had looked happy on the way inside the hotel for Prom too. She listened as Puck continued. "Then when he added _Shattered _to our set list, I said it was like a break up song with Lima, and his mouth twisted all funny. Anyway, there were lots of things that led to me thinking that Josh thinks he's doing her a favor by breaking up with her this way."

"This is very interesting. You're very observant, Noah."

"That doesn't really get me anywhere. I don't know what to do about it all," Puck said ruefully.

Rachel went into Miss Fix-it mode. "If you had been a jerk to me, for example, and someone had insight into a reason why you behaved that way, I would want to know so that I could use that information when weighing my decision regarding forgiveness."

"Uh, thanks?"

"Hypothetically speaking, of course. I hope that we don't have too many such incidents. Anyway, I think you should give Quinn the chance to decide if she wants the information."

"Ok. So you can talk to her about what I just told you."

"No! I didn't hear it from the source, only you did. I didn't see all of your little signs. And I have no idea what you were talking about with half of this conversation! _You_ have to talk to her!" Rachel was insistent.

"So you really think I should talk to her? Even though this little incident is probably good news for Finn?"

Rachel pondered Puck's words carefully. "I see your point. But like I said, if you'd been a jerk to me, and someone else knew why, I'd want to know. You can offer to tell Quinn your opinion and then she needs to decide for herself if she wants to forgive Josh or if she wants to try to stay with Finn. Wow, this situation—it's a bit like the parable about King Solomon from the _Torah_. The one in which two women claim to be the mother of a baby, and the true mother is the one who is willing to give up her baby rather than have the baby be cut in two equal halves. Quinn would know it from the _Old Testament_."

"Yeah, I guess it's kinda like that story. But you realize that I know the difference between Judaism and Christianity, don't you, Berry?"

"Of course. Sorry. Sometimes I ramble and explain things when I'm agitated."

"Really? Hadn't noticed," he deadpanned.

Rachel flashed him an annoyed look, but mostly out of habit. She wasn't really upset by his comment. "So do you really think that Josh was trying in some way to be the noble one in the story? Giving up his claim so Quinn wouldn't be divided? Letting her go for her own good? If so, that's somewhat admirable, even if he did go about it in the _worst way possible_." Rachel marveled that a boy could be so chivalrous and so…_horrible_ at the same time.

Puck looked at her with wide eyes. "Shit, Rach, does that whole 'letting the other one go for their own good' thing apply to us too?"

Rachel's jaw dropped for a split second before she regained her composure. "Don't even think about going anywhere, Noah Puckerman."

…

Puck called up Quinn on Sunday to do his good deed for the week like Rachel suggested. Whatever.

"Puck," Quinn sighed. "To what do I owe this phone call?"

"So you've become a master at the bitchslap, huh, Quinn?"

She scoffed in a moment of brief amusement. "I changed my mind. It's not a good feeling," she said flatly into the phone.

"Sorry things went down like that," Puck offered. "So… uh, if I knew that there was a reason why Josh said and did what he did, would you wanna know or would you not wanna think about it?"

"Right now, I don't want to think about it. Nothing could redeem what he said, and what he really thought of me."

Puck could hear her sniffling, and he was pretty sure she was crying or would be soon. He didn't want to push it. "That's kinda what I thought. Ok, I'll leave you alone then. Sorry again."

"Thanks, Puck."

"If you change your mind, lemme know. Berry said I should give you the option of knowing."

"It really wouldn't matter, Puck. Now I know in my heart that Finn would never say something like that to me. _He_ doesn't think of me that way. He's the one I need to make things right with."

"Well, uh, good luck with everything, Quinn. Later."

They ended their call.

Quinn called Finn.

…

Finn could tell Quinn was upset when she asked if he had time to pick her up.

"Can we just do something? Anything together?" she pleaded into the phone.

"Uh, yeah, I'll be right over to pick you up. We can go bowling if you want."

"Sure, Finn, that would be great." Quinn said. And she really thought it would. She didn't have to dress up for bowling, and maybe she could work through some emotions by hurling a stupid ball at some stupid little pins. Yeah, bowling would work just fine.

…

At the end of their bowling date Finn asked, "So how'd I do at distracting you, Quinn?"

"You were perfect. Just what I needed." Quinn smiled but she could feel that the smile didn't reach her eyes. She hoped Finn didn't notice.

He did.

…

**June, Junior Year**

They had a few snow days in Lima that year, so the last day of school was pushed to June instead of May. New Directions had been singing _Somewhere Over the Rainbow_ to death for the upcoming graduation ceremony. But they only had one more day of practice. Will decided to mix it up a bit.

"Well, guys, it's been an amazing year for New Directions," Will said, "And I thought we'd have a little fun on our last day of class."

"So no singing today?" Puck asked hopefully.

"No, Puck, there will be singing. But we won't just be doing _Somewhere Over the Rainbow_. Well, we do have practice again right before commencement. But now we're going to do a little medley of _Rainbow_ with the song _I'm Yours_ by Jason Mraz. You see, back when I was in college, there was this acapella group—the inspiration for Acafellas, guys!" he enthused, looking at Finn and Puck. "Anyway, I thought it would be fun to give this acapella song a try that guys I ran into in college came up with. They're rather successful, I might add. So maybe we'll use this in our repertoire for next fall."

"We're going to try an acapella song for the first time ever on the last day of school?" Santana asked in her typical tone of mild disgust and annoyance.

"It's just for fun," Will shrugged. "And since you're not used to acapella singing, I'll accompany you on my ukulele like I have been doing for _Rainbow_, ok?" Will noticed the eye rolls at his correct pronunciation of _ukulele_. He knew their Midwestern ears weren't used to the word, but he winced every time he caught their looks. Sue really did have a point about kids needing discipline.

So Will passed out the music and did a few run-throughs before they knocked it out of the park.

To the members of New Directions, the song was a surprisingly good choice from their director. They felt like a little family singing in harmony. And several couples and would-be couples shared meaningful glances during the medley.

**Girls:** _Doo-doo, Doo-doo_

**Boys:** _Ooooo oooooo oooooo  
Ooooo oooooo oooooo_

**Finn:** _Well you done done me in; You bet I felt it_

_I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted_

_I fell right through the cracks_

_And now I'm trying to get back_

**Artie:** _Before the cool done run out I'll be givin' it my bestest_

_And nothing's gonna stop me but divine intervention_

**Puck:** _I reckon it's again my turn_

_To win some or learn some_

**Finn, Artie, Puck:** _But I won't hesitate no more, no more_

_It cannot wait, I'm yours _

**All:** _**I am yours**_

**Boys:** _Hey, hey _

**Puck:** _Hey, You best believe I'm yours_

**Rachel:** _Now open up your mind and see like me_

_Open up your plans and [hey] you're free_

**Quinn:** _Look into heart and you'll find __**love, love, love, love**_

**Tina:** _Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing_

_We're just one big family_

**Girls:** _And it's our godforsaken right to be __**loved loved loved loved loved**_

**Girls:** _So I won't hesitate no more, no more_

_It cannot wait, __**I'm sure**_

**All:** _**There's no need to complicate**_

_**Our time is short **_

_**This is our fate**_

_**I'm yours **_

**Rachel:** _Someday I'll wish upon a star,  
Wake up where the clouds are far behind _

_Behind me _

_**(I am yours)**_

**Mercedes:** _Oh, somewhere over the rainbow __**(hey)**_

_Blue birds fly; See them fly_

**Girls:** _Birds fly over the rainbow_

_Why oh why can't I?_

**Finn:** _Been spending way too long checkin' my tongue in the mirror _

_And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer_

_But my breath fogged up the glass_

_So I drew a new face and I laughed._

**Artie: **_I guess what I'm saying is there ain't no better reason_

_To rid yourself of entities and just go with the seasons_

**Puck:** _It's what we aim to do_

_Our name is our virtue_

**Finn, Artie, Puck:** _But I won't hesitate, no more no more_

_It cannot wait_

_**I'm yours**_

The boys looked at their girls.

**Boys:** _So please don't please don't please don't_

_There's no need to complicate  
Cause our time is short_

_This is oh this oh this is our fate_

**All:** _**I'm yours.**_

"Wow, guys!" Will exclaimed. "That was just fantastic, really! I hope you enjoyed performing that together!"

They did.

Quinn smiled genuinely and nodded at Finn. Tina blushed and smiled at Artie. Rachel beamed at Puck and lunged at him, to the laughter of everyone in the room, even Mr. Schue.

…

Of course the graduation ceremony with New Directions performing _Somewhere Over the Rainbow_ while Mr. Schuester played ukulele was a success. Principal Figgins swayed happily to the music and was even spotted brushing a tear from his eye. Coach Sylvester nodded quietly in her black track suit, while Miss Pillsbury clutched her hands at her heart near the lovely bow on her blouse. The song was the highlight of the ceremony for nearly everyone except perhaps the seniors themselves, who probably preferred the moment when they turned their tassels and marched out of the auditorium as graduates.

…

Puck planned to spend as much time with Rachel as possible before her first two weeks of camp in New York. He and the guys in The Relentless would be heading to Brooklyn to stay with Josh's brother during the week Rachel had as her break before her second camp. Well, the guys would be staying with the Jordan's while Puck and Rachel got a hotel. You could only fit so many people in the brownstone Josh's brother shared with his wife, and Puck would definitely need lots of alone time with his girl!

So after checking in with his mom and Sarah after the graduation ceremony, Puck headed to Rachel's house. Marshall Berry greeted him at the door and told him he could go upstairs.

Puck smirked and leaned against the door frame as he watched Rachel. Her trip was still over a week away, but she was already pulling out suitcases from her closet.

Rachel sang the lyrics of _Lucky_ to herself as she packed for the summer, oblivious to Puck's presence.

_They don't know how long it takes  
Waiting for a love like this  
Every time we say goodbye  
I wish we had one more kiss  
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will_

_I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend  
Lucky to have been where I have been  
Lucky to be coming home again  
Lucky we're in love every way  
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed  
Lucky to be coming home someday  
_

"What's that you're humming and smiling about?" Puck asked her when she concluded the song by humming the tune. Rachel spun around, a bit startled to realize he had been there while she flitted around, listening to her iPod and planning for her trip. But the sight of his warm smile and flashing green eyes quickly prompted a brilliant smile of her own.

"Just thinking of how lucky I am. How lucky _we are_. Not everyone has what we have." Rachel's thoughts flashed to Quinn briefly before turning back to bask in the glow of this moment with Noah.

"I know," he nodded. "We are two good looking, lucky Jews." He pulled her close for a kiss. Then he released her to continue packing, while he frowned slightly at her suitcase.

Rachel noticed. "It'll be a great summer. Everything's going to be ok, you know."

She didn't say it as a question. It was a statement. Well, if Rachel was sure, then so was he. Everything was gonna be ok.

Puck nodded in agreement and sighed contentedly, "You know, I think you might be the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Funny, I think I recall you telling me this before." Rachel giggled.

"Oh yeah? Well, what do you have to say about it?" He stepped towards her and looked down in an intimidating pose, but the sweet look on his face revealed his amusement.

"I think you're the best decision I ever made," she said solemnly.

"Damn right." Puck smiled down at Rachel.

She smiled up at Noah as he took her in his arms.

The summer began.

And everything was perfect.

…

**END**

**A.N.** First, thanks so much to everyone who read this story, alerted (268), favorited (122), and reviewed! I really enjoyed interacting with all of the reviewers and you really helped direct this story! Sorry this took so long and that some of the line spacing is weird. It wasn't like that in my document, and I don't know how to fix it.

Secondly, this chapter was so hard to write. But since different readers want different things, I'll leave it up to you to imagine if all goes happily ever after from here or if things fall apart again for our favorite characters. (I'm actually really curious to know what everyone sees as the future for these characters—so tell me!) This story was classified as Angst/Romance, and since the majority demanded that angst end for Puck and Rachel, I found a way to bring the angst back a bit through Quinn; and I hope it was a nice contrast between different relationships.

This final chapter delivered a second slap as promised to **BittyAB18**, Puck's inner nerd (evil genius plan) and Puck getting a bit violent as desired by **joker to the thief**, more gleeks for all those who requested, like **weasleymadchen**, but a solid focus on Puck/Rachel (I hope) for everyone, in particular **Dewymornings87** and **sweetcaroline1986**, and a shout out to **fresch** for reading my mind about how things were going when reviewing ch 24.

It's been a great ride and a wonderful introduction to fanfiction writing. I'll be writing two reader-directed stories for the winners of the Support Stacie Auction. Then, I plan to take a writing break, but if there is enough interest, I might be persuaded to write a one-shot about Summer in NY. I don't know if I can do a Senior Year though without repeating the themes in _Junior Year_. But I have had one request (**kaelaelameee**) for "Outtakes" from _Junior Year_. I'm not sure what I'd do, so if there are requests for "Outtakes", leave them here. Anyway, please let me know what you think! Many thanks!


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